Celebrate Christmas Traditions of Giving and Receiving

This time of year is a season that is globally celebrated, and it is called Christmas for many around the world. A time of joy, sharing, giving, love and reflecting on our faith and our future.

As many celebrate Christmas all over the world, I hope we can humble ourselves and truly consider the Christ Child in the manger scene. Acknowledge Him for who He truly is, a gift of love to each of us from God and the gift that we can share.

For those who have Christmas parties, or some sort of holiday get togethers, remember to keep the reason for the season in mind. It is about the birth of Jesus and Christians and non-Christians around the world celebrate this holiday. What an amazing story behind this holiday.

One of my dear friends reminds me often when we chat, that love is the key to our relationships, the key to humanity’s needs and that we can never understand the depth and power of love without knowing the baby in a manger.

The message of this child is a picture to the world of divine love coming into the world as a baby and is irresistible and allows us the opportunity to initially experience God incarnate with awe and joy.

This is my favorite time of year and it reminds me that we are called to love one another, and I hope you will take this message as a reminder even if you may not celebrate this holiday the way some do, that it is a beautiful time of year to ponder what all this fuss is about during the season called Christmas around the world.

The Bible and history tell us wise men “magi” traveled an extraordinarily long distance to bring gifts to the newborn baby who would become the Savior of the World. Because of that, it has become the tradition for friends and family to give gifts to each other as part of the global celebration.

Giving and receiving gifts is one of the languages of love, a gracious way to show people that we care about them. Thinking about a person and taking the time to select something we believe they would enjoy is a very real part of meaningful relationships.

I would like to suggest as we celebrate Christmas in whatever way you do, to decide to spend less on ourselves, love more, forgive those who have hurt you and serve others more in the coming year. If we would make a sincere attempt at doing these things, I believe we would experience results far beyond anything we could ever imagine, perhaps a miracle in your life as well as in the life of others. In fact, this year, we could re-gift what Jesus gave to us: Love and Forgiveness.

One of our favorite traditions is to read “The Story of the Christmas Guest” by Helen Steiner. It is about a shoe cobbler who has a dream and God says He will visit him that very night. He prepares and waits but only a shabby beggar with a need for shoes, an old woman with a bundle on her back and a lost child darken his door. He helps each and the night wears away with not a visit from Jesus. He wonders why until a soft voice he hears, say I was the beggar, the woman, and the lost child.

I cannot read this story without welling up with tears and seeing Jesus in a new way each time I read this beautiful story of Jesus.

May you have a most wonderful Christmas season as you give to the needs of others.