True Meaning Of Christmas

I was listening to the radio one morning a few years back after dropping the kids off at school, and a caller was explaining how - back in Christmas 1985 - she'd received a totally tubular sweater she assumed was from The Limited.  Yeah, The Limited.  The kingdom of coolness for girl-kind back in the day.  She envisioned wearing it to school after the break and it would render her flat, winged-back product-less hair, her glasses and her braces invisibile as her friends would look on in awe.  Boys she'd pined over all year would all of a sudden notice her. "Where did SHE come from - wow!"  Stars would align and all would be well.  That evening, she recalled eavesdropping on her parents - feeling devilish and sneaky listening to their conversation that mentioned her name.  The sweater - no doubt - was the reason for her sudden talent for "stealth".  Her Father mentioned how pleased she seemed with the sweater, to which her Mom replied, "I know, and I got it for $13 at K-Mart."  Her world deflated in an instant.  She was now wearing the King's new clothes, reassigned back to Dorkville.  She was crushed.  She brooded.  She didn't talk to her Mom for days and wouldn't tell her what was wrong.  A memory that stuck with her.

Now that she's grown and has kids of her own, she looks back on Christmas of 1985 and that is all she can recall.  The sweater.  Her "rep" at school.  Herself and herself alone.  

• Not the joy of giving.  
• Not the time with family.
• Not the celebration of something truly miraculous - God's entry into human kind through the birth of a baby named Jesua.    

"What a brat I was," she reflected.  "I was so self-absorbed and distracted with materialistic, worldly things."  Christmas is so incredibly significant and we've slowly made it about something else entirely over the years.  We've made it about money, receiving gifts, shopping, brand names and what gifts they got that I didn't.

But let's be honest - that caller is nowhere near alone.  We've all been guilty of that.  Many of us still are when Christmas comes around.  We think about what we're going to get.  We listen to our kids' pleas for Blah Blah toy and Yada Yada video game, and we think, "Sure - that's what Christmas is about, right?"  Wrong.  In fact, perpetuating that message, especially to our impressionable children is dead wrong.  

I don't want to be a buzz kill to those who love to give and to see faces light up.  That is good - that is right.  The "giving" is what it's all about.  But it's giving, as a reflection of what God gave to us - his only begotten Son.  Giving, as a reflection of what Jesus gave - all.  

It's NOT about giving "things".  It's about the act of giving, and in doing so remembering that God sent His son to reestablish a connection with us.  To reset our relationship with Him.  What a gift.  Hard to get my head around that kind of altruistic kindness and grace.

So, here are some ideas to consider this Christmas:

1. Take time to sit down with your family and discuss the true meaning of Christmas and what that means for us.  
2. Consider taking one of the MANY gifts you've gotten for your child or nephew or whoever, returning it and giving to those who need it more ... in their name.  I know that would mean so much more to me if someone did that on my behalf.
3. Have your kids consider doing the same, but have it be their choice.  Explain, "Christmas is about giving.  What do you think of the idea of taking one of the gifts you just received, cashing it in and giving that money to a charitable cause?"

If everyone did that, just think of the impact it would have on Christmas for an impoverished or otherwise needy child, for those suffering with illnesses we'd rather not think about, for those who don't have a coat this Christmas, let alone a gift?  Wow.  

My family will be trying this and hope to make it a Dean family Christmas tradition.  What kind of memories might that create for us and for our children.  I'm imagining we won't look back and call ourselves self-centered brats, but rather look back at the celebration of the greatest gift we could ever receive - a relationship with God through his Son, and the outlook that it gives us on this world we live in.  

Merry CHRISTmas to all, and to all a good night!