LOVE

God bless mothers.  We put up with so much in the name of raising children.  Here is a sample of some of the Christmas presents my mother put up with from me whilst I was learning to be more thoughtful.... 

1.  Two cans of cashews.  She really likes cashews.

2.  A musical Christmas mug.  When you lifted it up it played Christmas music.  Every time our dog would bump the package underneath the tree it would go off.  I was so afraid she would hear it and it would ruin the surprise.  As if knowing about the musical Christmas mug ahead of time would have lessened the enjoyment of a gift like that...

3.  A drawing of a cat drinking a saucer of milk.  I commissioned the artwork from Steve Strauss, the resident 3rd grade art prodigy of Lowery Elementary and also the biggest crush of my grade school life.  I paid him 15 cents to draw it.  My mom wanted to know why I didn't just draw her a picture myself.  Um, hello.  It was Steve Strauss.

Here's the deal with Christmas.  It's not about giving.  Not at all.  It's really only about one gift, the gift of God's son, and that we receive it.  We can't earn it, can't upgrade it.  It's simply there to be accepted.  I guess if you want to get technical we're then supposed to pass that gift on to others, which would be giving, but we can't do that until we've received it ourselves.  So anyway, there you go.  Getting, not giving.

The boys' school, like many organizations, adopts families at Christmastime.  I love to take them shopping to help meet the needs and wants of these families.  It's a very good and tangible way for them to learn to spread Christ's love.  The letter that came home this year detailing the requested donations explained how apparent need is at this time of year, what with all the extra expenses and celebrations, etc.  The biggest tragedy to me in all this is not that people don't have money to put presents under the tree, but that they think there's something lacking that they don't have money to put presents under the tree! 

Christmas is not about giving.  Don't get me wrong.  My home is covered in lights and full of decorations.  There are presents under the tree and stockings on the mantle.  These are the secular joys of the season and there is nothing inherently wrong with them.  But spiritually, it might as well be September.  Or February or May.  If we aren't discipling ourselves and our families everyday to the message of Christ's love for us, the gift of God's son, one church service singing Silent Night probably isn't going to make or break the holiday for us.  Christmas is the day we remember what all the other days of the year are for, to remember where it all started for us in God's love.  No, Christmas is not about giving.  It's about getting.  And trust me, friends, when the getting is God's, the getting is good.

Merry Christmas.  XOXO....Kelly