Recently I was asked to share my favorite Christmas memory. That is a hard question for me because I have so many fond memories to choose from! I have so many fond memories in the big filing cabinet in my head labeled “Christmas” that if I label one as my favorite I fear it will diminish the special meaning of the others. With each year new memories are made that expand the files in that section of my brain and my heart.
Today I am choosing one special memory from my childhood. I believe it would have been my tenth Christmas. I did not grow up in a wealthy family but I never thought of us as poor in that we always had food, shelter, clothing and educational opportunities. This particular Christmas, even though young, I knew money was tight and that my parents made sacrifices to give the very best gifts to their children. Growing up my parents had the tradition with us children of opening presents on Christmas Eve. This particular Christmas Eve after eating way too much and opening presents, my brother, cousin and myself all decided to sleep by the tree. In the middle of the night, which technically would have made it Christmas morning, my dad came in and woke all of us kids up telling us we had to look out the window. Thinking maybe we were going to see Santa on his sleigh being led by Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (my favorite childhood Christmas movie), I jumped up with excitement as to what my eyes would behold. Instead what I saw was something so awe inspiring that in many ways it changed my heart forever. There was the brightest star I had ever seen and quite frankly have not seen one like it since. It literally lit up the sky. My dad told us we would only see this star on this night and it was the same star that was shown to lead the wisemen to the stable where in a manger lay a baby. A baby born of a virgin birth who came to grow to be a man who would make the ultimate sacrifice for all of us and that included me. I had already made a commitment by that age to a lifelong relationship with Christ but there was something about that star that stuck with me and every Christmas since that memory has come back to me. You see that night looking at that star Christmas took on an entirely different meaning for me. While everyone else went back to their slumber I laid awake reflecting upon what my young heart knew of Christ’s birth and I hungered to know more. At that point I knew that I never wanted to turn my back on what God had in store for my life. I am quite sure there are scientists out there that would tell me that was not “the Star of Bethlehem”. There is also the chance that my dad, trying to make Christmas a little extra special for us children that year, just happened to see a bright star and “use it as a teaching moment”. Who knows? Whatever it was I am eternally grateful that my dad chose to wake us up and tell us it was the “Star of Bethlehem” giving us the reminder of what Christmas is all about. I am even more eternally grateful that my heavenly Father chose to send his only son to come to earth to make that ultimate sacrifice for me, for you and for all mankind. What a perfect gift.
I pray a wonderful and fun Christmas for anyone who maybe reading this. That this year through all the busyness that you will see that “Star” and be reminded of everything you have been given.
With Christmas being my all-time favorite holiday, I have so many wonderful memories, but there is definitely one magical Christmas that I will remember always.
I was about 5 or 6 years old, and was beside myself with Santa Claus that year. I was so excited, in fact, that I couldn’t sleep. I ended spending most of the night in my parents bed, popping up every 30 – 40 minutes claiming that I could hear “that little fat man” and his reindeer on the roof. If I couldn’t hear Santa, then I was asking my parents when he was coming. I just couldn’t wait to see what he had left under the tree for me, and wasn’t about to let him sneak without a little peek!
Around 6:00 Christmas morning I heard them. Loud and clear I heard jingle bells and a very muffled “Ho, ho, ho!” I jumped out of that bed faster than any kid and went running down the stairs.
Right in front of my very eyes was a giant red Santa suit with a sneaky Santa Claus creeping around our Christmas tree. I watched in awe just until my mom had woken up my sister and showed her our special visitor. Then he turned around, gave a quick wave, and ran out of the garage door.
A few minutes later my aunt and uncle came in and I was quick to give them every single detail of Santa’s visit to my house.
Having experienced this very special and magical event, I believed in Santa Claus until I was almost 12. My friends had long since given up on the big guy, but I had seen him, in my house. And I knew he was real.
This year my three-year-old daughter is super excited about Santa. She wants him to see her room! And she’s positive that he will love our Christmas tree. I cannot wait to watch her on Christmas morning and see the same magic that Christmas morning brings. We are definitely focusing on the true meaning of the Christmas season, but Santa just adds an enchanting element on Christmas morning.
That Christmas will always be special to me. And I am forever thankful to my sweet uncle who helped make that morning absolutely amazing! I still toss and turn on Christmas Eve. My husband tells me I’m like a little girl that night. I can’t help it. It’s my favorite!
We want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and also a Happy New Year. We have decided to take a little break to enjoy our families and to really focus on this special time of year. We will begin posting again on January 24th, 2011. Have yourselves a merry little Christmas!
