Merry Christmas

It’s Christmas Eve and I am ready for tomorrow. The tree is trimmed, presents are wrapped, my part of the dinner complete. All is ready to go. I am also ready for our family tradition that we have followed since Matthew was about three years old; old enough to begin sitting still to hear a story, so we began reading a story each Christmas before we did anything else.

The story isn’t a long one, and not complicated so a little one can follow it easily. And it’s found in the home of Christians, and some non Christians, actually. Every Christmas, Will gets a bible and looks up the book of Luke, second chapter, and reads the story of the coming and birth of Jesus Christ. It doesn’t take very long at all, and we sit quietly and listen to the words he reads, letting our hearts pause and wonder over what God did, the miracle of what happened over 2,000 years ago.

The giving of gifts, the traditional cinnamon rolls and other traditions and activities that follow are fun and we have a joyous day. But of all we observe and do on the holy day of Christmas, that pause, that sacred time we share as a family is the most meaningful of all.

My precious son maybe in faraway places after next year and the tradition won’t be complete unless by some miracle he will be able to be home. The Army will determine where he will spend his Christmases from now on. Even now tears are falling and it is hard to type. But it is my prayer and hope that wherever he is, he might think about opening his bible and reading the story about his Savior’s birth, and that in the future when he has his own family, he will carry on the tradition.

I hope each family will take time to remember as they gather around the table to pray grace, to thank God for that as well as the food. It’s easy to over look that in the hustle and bustle of the day’s activities. Make a tradition something to remember the miracle of the incarnation as a part of your Christmas celebration.

May this Christmas be blessed and filled with you for all.