Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to each of you, my loyal readers! I appreciate you so much. It means the world to me that you take time out of your busy schedule to read my thoughts and sometimes comment on them. I've said any times that this is my favorite time of year. I really do enjoy the shopping, baking, and overall mayhem associated with the season.

I also love that Christmas is a celebration of Christ. My spiritual birthday is in October(the earthly one in in June) but Christ really should be celebrated daily. Society is doing everything it can to commercialize what should be a remarkably religious celebration. The kids can't mention God in school. My hubby(his co-workers, too) was warned, like a child, not to forward e-mail that had religious overtones so as not to offend those who don't believe.

The Christmas Story has been told for years. The Virgin Mary along with her betrothed, Joseph, would have a son and call him, "Immanuel" which means "God with us." He would come to save the lost and provide eternal life for a sinful world. Simple story. We know He was born in a manger with animals all around. Three wise men would come bearing gifts to behold the magnificence of His birth and to worship Him. And so the details of the story go. The Nativity Story is important for so many reasons but the most important is that the Savior of the world was born. No greater gift exists! Until you develop a relationship with Him, you will never know that personal experience of faith, hope, and unconditional love.

While you are enjoying the special moments of the season, I hope your mind will journey back to that lowly manger of many years ago. Reflect on the fact that Jesus, the Light of the World, was born to a Virgin mother. She had the same hopes and dreams as any new mother, but God had chosen her child for a special task. Her child, Jesus, would be perfect, sinless. He would live a short life by today's standards. He would also die an extremely painful death on a cross between two sinful prisoners. Not only that, He would experience the weight of the WORLD'S sin(past, present, and future). Can you imagine that, He who knew no sin, carrying every sin? UGH! I think of Him carrying just my sin, and I feel tremendously guilty. He would leave the tomb for a short time and walk the earth before eventually being carried up to Heaven to be with God, to judge and to intercede on our behalf. How awesome is that?

When you take time to reflect on that information, you become acutely aware that gifts are wonderful, but That gift really was something special. The Bible is full of stories but the Nativity story remains one of my favorite. I prefer to read it in the book of Luke. That account is the most detailed. "For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." (ref. Luke 2:11) That sums it all up in a nutshell.

So it is with a grateful happy heart that I say to everyone of you, "Happy Birthday, Jesus!!! Merry Christmas!!!" Enjoy your family and hold them close! Encourage your friends! Bless a stranger! The priceless gifts are those you unselfishly give from the heart. So I end by saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"

Copyright December 25, 2009 by Pamela Cole Thorpe