The older I get the more I want to return to a time when simplicity was a way of life for most if not all. I especially long for that at Christmas time. "Then Pa and Ma and Mr. Edwards sat by the fire and talked about Christmas times back in Tennessee and up north in the Big Woods. But Laura and Mary looked at their beautiful cakes and played with their pennies and drank water out of their new cups. And little by little they licked and sucked their sticks of candy, till each stick was sharp-pointed on one end. That was a happy Christmas." -Laura Ingalls Wilder
When did we become so arrogant and selfish with Christmas? When did the babe in a manger get placed on the back burner and self become the focus of Christmas? When did it start becoming okay to place Christmas on a credit card?
"Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents, Jo says. But they each have a dollar, and they decide that, rather than buy things for themselves, they will buy presents for their mother." -Louis May Alcott
"And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more." - Dr. Seuss
This Christmas let us remember that it was sinful people in need of a Saviour that gave us Christmas. It's not about how many presents lay under our tree. It's not about how many are on our guest list. It's not about how spectacular our programs are this time of year. It's not even about how much $$ is given to charity. But rather, it's about Love!!
"Best of all, Christmas means a spirit of love, a time when the love of God and love of our fellow men should prevail over all hatred and bitterness, a time when our thoughts and deeds and the spirit of our lives manifest the presence of God." -George F. McDougall
"Love has a name. JESUS
Love has a place. Our hearts.
Love has a story.
And it's not finished yet." -Unknown
Blessings to each of you, my Readers, this Christmas and in the coming New Year!!
Thank you for your kind words and wishing you a wonderful Christmas and Blessed New Year also.
ReplyDeleteCarolyn
Beautifully written and yes, love does have a name, the lovely name of Jesus. My husband was out of work for several months recently and so we are not exchanging gifts. But I have made something for most of our children and their children. And my gifts are a work of love, and frustration, but mostly love.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for coming by my blog and leaving a sweet comment. So glad I could come by and read your lovely post and wish you a merry Christmas and God's richest blessings in 2013!
Hugs, Cindy