How Was Your Christmas?

Just a few questions – and don’t expect much in the way of answers, for it’s very personal. How was your Christmas?

Not just the actual day but also what went in to preparing for Christmas?

Did you shop a lot? That’s something that concerns our government just as it concerts economists and vendors. Christmas shoppers keep the wheels of commerce moving. Is that a bad thing?

Did you overspend? No, please don’t answer here – that’s VERY personal and I don’t need to know that at all. But, you do, as part of budgeting.

Did you have a tree? The graphic is one of my daughter’s  - a nod to the expected traditional ostentatious display of a ceiling tall tree covered with costly decorations. I didn’t do that much this year.

Did you have a nativity set? If so, did it have wise men? Angels? I covered that in Christmas Day’s post. The shepherds who answered the news from the angels would not have met wise men at the manger.

Did you attend a church service dedicated to Christmas? More than one? If so, was the full gospel given, or just His birth?

Did you overeat? We certainly did. What was your menu? Ours began with Caprese appetizers led through Italian Wedding Soup across pesto/garlic/cheese bread into a variety of pasta to be covered with Alfredo or red sauce then topped with meatballs or chicken or any combination of the above. Oh, yes – we did overeat! Did the food get blessed before eaten? Absolutely.

Did you have guests who do not believe Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, savior? Many hosted those – and some of those hosted guests who do love and serve Him.

Did you sing carols that celebrated His birth – or songs of chestnuts roasting while a ruby-nosed reindeer frolics with a frosty snowman before heading out with eight others in a flying sleigh with a fat man first described in the 19th century?

There’s a great diversity among those who celebrate December 25. As for me and my house, it is celebrated as the birth of God’s great promise to mankind. From the fall of Adam and Eve, it was woman’s seed at enmity with the tempter:

And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. (Genesis 3:15 KJV)

Later, the promise was more specific. Childless Abram was told:

And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: (Genesis 12:2 KJV)

There is neither time nor space here to look at all the prophecies, but they do culminate in:

And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, (Matthew 2:4-5 KJV)

Did that get covered with your family on Christmas Day? Only on that day? Or was the birthday boy forgotten among the wrapping paper and boxes that headed for the trash bin? Or, was there gratitude:

Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. (2 Corinthians 9:15 KJV)