Christmas

Yesterday, after building a snowman and knowing that it was the last snow day for Tate as they had announced school would resume Thursday, I asked the boys if they wanted to do art work.  I got out chalk and blue construction paper and we made some snowy scenes.  I also got out their art boxes and decided to paint.  I love to paint and draw.  I forget how much it eases stress and tension.  The boys just calm down and become engrossed in whatever they're working on.  I encouraged them to try painting a Nativity.  They both started out doing so, looking at the ones throughout the living room for reference, but theirs quickly became paintings of Uncle Aaron's and Uncle Seth's trucks.  Hahaha!  I, however, was just kind of working with the water color and making a sky and mountain and attempting a rustic Nativity scene.  This was my end result.  

It seems rather primitive or child like and simple, but I saw a bit more.

I saw the "first" Christmas in its simplicity.  If you really pause to think about the dynamics of that time period and the actual events of the first Christmas, the simplicity, and actually just how rudimentary it was was, really stands out.  Think about it.  If you've had a baby in modern times or if you've even just known of someone who's had a baby, then you're aware of everything that goes into having a baby.  You're not supposed to travel in the last few weeks.  You go to the doctor or midwife on a regular basis.  You deliver at the hospital under the watchful care of more than one nurse and a doctor or you choose to do so in your home, which likely has been set up and arranged for your comfort level and the arrival of your baby.  

Now, consider Mary and Joseph.  Not only did they travel, but they traveled on donkey, through rugged terrain, without a rest area and not knowing their accommodations upon arrival.  When they did arrive, there wasn't a fancy hotel or even convenient and clean place for them to stay.  There was nowhere.  Except a cave.  Not a stable as is popular in songs and children's stories.  The more likely truth was that they took shelter in a cave that was used as protection and a feeding location for animals.

How utterly simple and primitive to have a baby in such conditions.  

It should provoke thought and consideration to what is now one of the most lavish and frivolous events on our calendar.

I do not wish to take away from the joy of sharing with friends and family and celebrating and gift giving, but I would like to hopefully evoke a moment of true consideration about what we celebrate.

It is my humble opinion that Christmas is not about giving, it isn't even about family.  It's technically not necessarily about doing for others.  Those are all perks of what it's really about.  You may disagree, but consider this;  there are people in all parts of the world that have accepted and believe in Christ and they have been shunned by their family.  They live impoverished.  They want for much, often times even things as simple as clean water.  And yet, when you read or hear of missionaries retelling stories, the joy and true worship these people experience and share is unblemished.  Would they be able to live easier and perhaps be more happy if they had family and the conveniences that are deemed necessary?  Probably. But they still have experienced the true gift and thus they have the ability to be truly joyful.

As I've shared with our boys each day,

Christmas isn't about what we give or especially what we get with regards to gifts,

  it's about what we've been given.  

We were given Christ, the Savior.

You may wrinkle your forehead and think, 'hmmm, she's being a bit over-dramatic and sucking the fun from all that Christmas is, even for those that don't get as caught up in trees and gifts and food and decorations.'  But, I assure you, I'm not taking away from any of that, within proper perspective.  

I simply want to encourage the simplicity and enormity of what we were given for Christmas so long ago.  We should do for others.  We should put aside malice and annoyances and disagreements and we should enjoy our time with our littles and our families and our friends.  As we do all of these things, though, I myself, hope to instill more effectively in our home, that we are doing these things as a result of what we've been given and what we've accepted.  That being, Christ the Lord!

"For Unto Us is born this day...A Savior which is Christ the Lord."

Merry Christmas to you and your family!