The Feeling of Christmas

"The very purpose of Christ's coming into the world was that he might offer up his life as a sacrifice for the sins of men. He came to die. This is the heart of Christmas."

Rev. Billy Graham

Christmas, I remember our first Christmas overseas; I didn't know what to expect. I specifically wondered if it would snow on Christmas eve. It was strange; I didn't realize how much of my view of Christmas was wrapped up in the North American culture of Christmas. I was convicted in how much I depended on the feeling of Christmas, the lights, snow, presents, and strangely Santa clause. You know the feeling you get when you enter the room on Christmas day and see the tree and gifts, the feeling of having your family sitting around the table for a meal, or the feeling you get when you see everyone decorate their homes for the holidays. The holiday feelings .... don't get me wrong, those feeling are not bad, but they can leave you disappointed when they don't happen.

On December 24th of 2017, the family and I head over to the international church Christmas eve service in the country we were serving in. It was a great time of fellowship, and as we walked out, the first thing that caught my eye was two men with cameras filming everyone who walked out of the service. These were two police officers, filming to see who attended these services and what they were doing in the country. This was not the feeling we wanted to have around the holiday, the feeling like we did something wrong. That night, it hit me that I was losing sight of that child in the manger because of my expectations of feelings. Why was it so important for us to have Christmas feel a certain way, and why did we feel depressed when it didn't feel the way we expected it to?

I think for me I wanted my kids to have the same feelings, I wanted them to enjoy every aspect of the holidays. I wanted them to have the gifts, the food, the friends, and their family around them for the holidays. When I came to this conclusion, I realized I was missing the most important feeling of all—that feeling of love, the feeling that makes Christmas, well, Christmas. Without love, we wouldn't have the same reason to celebrate. God LOVED us so much that he sent his only Son, in the form of a child, to grow up and face the harsh world just to die for it. God's love that he promised to send a saviour and fulfilled that through the birth of a baby boy. I forgot about this love; in the middle of all the Christmas feelings, I made Christmas about me and what I wanted out of it.

If I were to ask you what the first thing that came to your mind was when you thought of Christmas, what would it be? Be honest, is it Christ? If it is, How do you keep Christ in front of all the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season? And if you're like me and sometimes struggle with keeping him upfront and center, what can you add to your routine to help you remember Him more. We, as a family, do daily advent devotionals after supper. We teach Santa Clause as the good man Saint Nicolaus who died many years ago. This way, Christmas morning is not about Santa; it's about Christ. This year I want my kids to know the truth; we can look forward to gifts, food, family, and a break from school. But the ultimate truth is that Christ came into this world to die for my sins, your sins, my kid's sins, and the sins of the world.