Christmas is a special time of year. Growing up in Switzerland, I remember my dad buying fresh cut trees and my mother decorating them. We’d use real candles, which always bore a certain risk having my brothers and me around. Expectation and excitement increased exponentially as we approached Christmas Day. The closer we got, the slower time seemed to move. On Christmas Day we’d finally gather around the tree to unwrap presents. But the excitement was brief, more like little bursts from “present to present.” Later we’d found ourselves in our everyday routines with no real grasp about the meaning of Christmas. Everything went back to how it was: the candles were blown out, the tree was put outside for trash pickup and the presents lost their significance.
Let’s remember that real Christmas never stops. The lights don’t go out because Christ is the Light of the world. He came to live in us and shine through us. And His light shows us the way. His presents are not man-made, battery operated or perishable. They’re gifts from Heaven like joy, peace, grace, love, wisdom and forgiveness. And we gather around the Tree: the cross. The horizontal bar reminds us of God’s open arms toward mankind. The vertical bar signifies Heaven connecting with mankind and points to our eternal home. At the cross the price was paid for our sins. The cross is the reason why the “lights” stay on and the “presents” keep coming from our Heavenly Father who knows what we need every day.
Receive God’s best gift today by asking Jesus to come into your heart. He will give you a brand new life. Or perhaps you need to reconnect with God; just ask Him to forgive you and you’ll be back on track. And let’s continue to gather around the Tree and experience everlasting joy and peace.