MERRY CHRISTMAS!

For so many of us, all of the hard work and the planning is undone within an hour or so and it can make one wonder, “what was that all about?”  But I think if we know our story, we recognize that it is about love and about hope and about sharing who we are and what we believe.Each year, my kids take part in the Christmas pageant at our church.  It has been a long tradition since my oldest is 14 and she started at 3/4.  What I love so much about it is how we begin the whole holiday at the beginning, focusing on the miracle at hand.  (Some years there are two miracles as the pageant actually comes together when it was looking iffy!)  But by starting at the beginning, at the start of our collective story, we are making a statement of what our Christmas is really about.  It enriches the day to follow as we are blessed by family, friends and given gifts!  It is not a one day affair, the story is long and involved…and we too must be involved.  “Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas, may your heart be light” and remember that the true gift of your life, if you are a follower of Christ, is the knowledge that God gave his most precious gift in the person of his Son.  In doing so, he gave us a rock solid foundation that we can proceed forward with confidence and conviction, with compassion and courtesy during this season.  We do all of this to illustrate our understanding of God’s love for us.  This is only the beginning of the season….