As I sit in my office and think back over 52 Christmas Days I am trying to think of memorable gifts along the way. I honestly had to struggle to think about some that I remember from childhood. I remember disappointment one Christmas morning when I was sure that I was going to get a bicycle and when I got up there was not one under the tree. I am sure I was a bit grumpy about it that morning. Then the doorbell rang, and my next-door neighbor had brought the bicycle to me that my parents had been hiding at their house. That instant change in mood is very memorable but I don’t remember much about the bicycle.
I remember one Christmas getting a train set. The track was oval in shape and it was silver with three rails. The caboose was red, the locomotive was black, and it would blow out puffs of smoke as it circled the track. The blue controller had a switch that you could slide to control the speed of the train and if you went too fast around the corners it would leave the track and rollover. I enjoyed playing with that train but didn’t have anywhere to leave it set up and being young I was too impatient to set it up very often.
As I think back over Christmas past, the gifts are not first in my thoughts, family is. Probably my favorite memory from a past Christmas would be when Janice was pregnant with Hailey. Christmas fell on Sunday that year and unfortunately my mom was in the hospital. So, after church we decided to grab something to eat and head to the hospital for a visit. Without thinking about what would be open for lunch we quickly realized that Waffle House was the only option. So, the two of us sat in Waffle House in Augusta, GA and had Christmas lunch. That sweet memory has turned into an annual tradition. Almost every Christmas since then we have made our way to Waffle House some time Christmas Day.
The Greatest Christmas Gift Ever came in the form of a person. Jesus Christ was born in a humble manger. God left Heaven and came to such an ordinary place in such an extraordinary way. The Messiah, born of a virgin, with very little fanfare came to earth to do what only God could do. He came to pay the price for our sins and claim the victory over the grave. Christmas exist because God gave us the greatest gift ever. While you are busy enjoying family and celebrating Christmas don’t overlook the greatest gift ever, Jesus Christ the Son of God. He is indeed the Reason for the Season!
In His Amazing Grace,
Dan