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By E.J. Smith
Merry Christmas Elizabethton!
My wish for everyone is that you can have a good Christmas. It will not be easy this year, but if we remember the true reason for this holiday, we should be so happy that God loved us enough to send his Son as His original gift to us. God already knew the plan, but sent Jesus anyway, so that all the world could be saved from sin. Wow! Just imagine what would have been if this great Gift had not been given! If we were still here, we would have no hope at all without this ultimate gift, Jesus.
This is not a Bible lesson as I am not a pastor or even a Sunday School teacher, but I know the true meaning of Christmas and want everyone in the world to know about the gift that God gave to us on that night so long ago in Bethlehem. As not many Christmas gifts do not last that long, this gift is eternal. That’s forever folks! Because of Jesus, we can choose to follow Him and have hope for ourselves and our children. We may still have hardships and hurdles, but we have Him to help us through anything that causes us heartache and pain. If we follow him with love and faith, life will not be perfect, but it will be much better because we have the peace of knowing Christ. All one has to do is ask. If you do not know the story of Jesus, you can read it in the Bible at the beginning of the New Testament or find a church to attend regularly.
That being said, what else do we celebrate at this time of year? The Almighty Dollar! Buy, Buy, Buy! That what the retailers cry. You won’t be happy without this. You need this! Your children will love you more if you buy them these expensive things they will lose interest in soon. Your family and friends will not love you if you don’t get them nice stuff. What will the neighbors think if you don’t decorate your house and grounds lavishly? All of this turns Christmas, a sacred holiday, into a mad rush to make everybody we know happy with us.
Let’s back up here: Our children are not grateful with anything when we give them everything… How many times have we heard children exclaim,” That’s not what I wanted, I wanted the big one”? That’s our fault! They do not need all the shiny, bright colored things seen on television or in the stores. They need to hear about the real reason they should be celebrating the season. Remember the stories we have been told by our parents and grandparents? The gifts they received were sparse, maybe an orange and a candy stick, may a baby doll or a wagon if the child was lucky. You can be assured that they heard the Christmas story and why it was such a vital part of life.
I know, I know, times have changed and we are more prosperous now than ever, why not give them all they desire? Because that teaches them to be selfish and to think of only themselves. I want my grandchildren to hear about Jesus at an early age and to be brought up in a home that worships Him all the time. I want them to feel safe and content in a scary world. I want them to care for others and help those who cannot help themselves. The story of Jesus’ birth is the very best gift any of us can give our children. Make sure you know all about it and it’s purpose and share this wonderful truth with them.
I love you. You are in my prayers. Merry Christmas!
E.J.