CHRISTMAS.
What's the first thing you think of? Presents, trees, snow...presents. Hopefully family falls in there somewhere. Christmas is a really busy time- shopping, food, crazy grandchildren. There are so many different things going on that we lose a little of what is really going on.
I learned this lesson so powerfully last year. As a missionary, we don't have a whole lot of stuff. I had the chance to teach people about the importance of Christ during the time we celebrate his birth. He is the Son of God. He was born in a stable in the most humble and lowly of circumstances. Said Jeffery R. Holland,
"I wonder if (Joseph) felt the sting of tears as he hurriedly tried to find the cleanest straw and hold the animals back. I wonder if
he wondered: “Could there be a more unhealthy, a more disease-ridden, a more despicable circumstance in which a child could be born? Is this a place fit for a king? Should the mother of the Son of God be asked to enter the valley of the shadow of death in such a foul and unfamiliar place as this? Is it wrong to wish her some comfort? Is it right He should be born here?” But I am certain Joseph did not mutter and Mary did not wail. They knew a great deal and did the best they could. Perhaps these parents knew even then that in the beginning of his mortal life, as well as in the end, this baby son born to them would have to descend beneath every human pain and disappointment. He would do so to help those who also felt they had been born without advantage."
he wondered: “Could there be a more unhealthy, a more disease-ridden, a more despicable circumstance in which a child could be born? Is this a place fit for a king? Should the mother of the Son of God be asked to enter the valley of the shadow of death in such a foul and unfamiliar place as this? Is it wrong to wish her some comfort? Is it right He should be born here?” But I am certain Joseph did not mutter and Mary did not wail. They knew a great deal and did the best they could. Perhaps these parents knew even then that in the beginning of his mortal life, as well as in the end, this baby son born to them would have to descend beneath every human pain and disappointment. He would do so to help those who also felt they had been born without advantage."
To help those who also felt they had been born without advantage. What a statement. Jesus Christ was born in such a way as to better understand and identify with you. The Lord of Hosts and King of Kings was born on this earth as a gift to both you and me. A gift is different than a present- gifts require something of you. Jesus Christ was a gift to us. God watched His Only Begotten Son be born in the humblest of places and grow into a man who would always be doing His will, and always be rejected for it. He watched His precious Son preform the atonement, feeling every emotion in the human spectrum. He watched as His Son hung on the cross, blood dripping from both his hands and his crown of thorns. He watched as His Son arose three days later triumphant over the grave, making it possible for all His other children to do the same.
This season, remember Christ. Remember that he is the gift- the ultimate gift. Give more than you get, and then give more. Forgive that person you've been holding a grudge against. Spend time with your family, playing games and telling stories. Read the Bible of the birth of your Savior, both together and individually. Take time to ponder what it means to you, and what you can do to give it even more meaning. When you do, share what you learn with others. Embrace the gift of Christ, and share that gift with all around you in the way that you live and what you say. As you do, I promise you peace. His teachings will improve the quality of your life as you learn and follow him more closely. I know he is the Son of God. I know he lives, and I know that he is the gift!
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