Like November, I wanted to take each day in December leading up to Christmas Day and devote it to the real reason for the Season. In my heart, I love the Christmas Story told and retold, and I never tire of hearing it. The commercialism of Christmas has taken away, somehow, from our true celebration of our Savior's Birth. And so, I attempted to bring that back.
"The Man of Galilee, who was born to set us free."
"Christmas is a time to share our gifts, strengthen others, and do our part in the Kingdom of God. Christmas is also a time to express our love to others and to bear our testimony of the Savior." (Elder Robert D. Hales, of The Quorum of The Twelve)
Every other year our community gets together and sings Handel's Messiah. I love these words, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given and the government shall be upon His shoulders; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." These words come from Isaiah 9:6 and they remind me who my Savior is and I shall ever be grateful for Him and the preservation of Holy scripture that tells us these things and gives us comfort.
I wrote for several days about the symbols of Christmas...each one with a new meaning that I had never thought of before. I will write them here, so that I can preserve them. The symbols of Christmas hold special value that many may be unaware of.
For instance, the color red, the first color of Christmas, represents Christ's blood that He shed for us so every man, woman and child can receive the gift of eternal life. The Evergreen Tree, the second color of Christmas sustains its color year round representing everlasting life and hope. Every needle of the evergreen points heavenward, symbolizing man's returning thoughts toward heaven.
The Evergreen Tree
The Star represents the Star of Bethlehem, which was a sign of the Savior's birth giving light to the world. Light--that is what showed the way and lit up the heavens--and Light is the epitome of our Savior. The Wreath is a symbol of the never ending eternal nature of love...having no beginning and no end, one continuous round of affection. May we all generate this kind of love, so unselfishly given by our Savior, and eternally offered by God.
The Wreath
The Holly represents immortality. The berries represent Christ's blood that was shed and the green leaves represent hope and new life. Like the evergreen, the holly stays green all year long. The Bell, the next symbol of Christmas represents guidance and return, reaching out to guide lost sheep back into the fold, signifying that all are precious in the eyes of the Lord.
The Bells
The Candy Cane is shaped like a shepherd's crook which was used to bring back lost lambs and represents the helping hand we should show as we are our brother's keeper. A good reminder of Service. The Candle represents the Lord's light upon the world. Whether or not the world chooses to walk into His light, it is still there.
The Candy Cane
The Christmas Gift is the symbol that reminds me of two things. The gifts given to the baby Jesus by the Three Wise Men, and the greatest gifts of all which came from God when He gave us His Son, and from Jesus Christ, himself, when he gave His life so we could live. There is a third gift from God...the gift of the Holy Ghost. When Christ left us, He left that great Spirit to guide us through troubled times. And, tied so very carefully around each gift, is The Bow, which represents the brotherhood of man, tied as we should be, all of us together, with the bonds of good will toward one another.
The Gift and The Bow
The last Christmas symbol is The Angel. I love to place my Angel on top of my tree after it is all decorated. The Angel represents the Angels that appeared to the shepherds the night Christ was born, bringing the message of His Birth. I believe they still attend us in our hours of needs, carefully guiding us in the right direction. I have had many Angels attending me in my life and I am so grateful for them.
The Christmas Angel
My list of symbols is complete, but I wanted to add one of my own. It is the symbol of The Christmas Card. Christmas Cards speak volumes to the receiver who embraces each and every one as a treasure connecting loved ones in distant places, speaking to friends and neighbors who are nearby, and warming the hearts of the senders as they close their eyes and see the faces of those they wish to connect with and relish in the memories of friendship and kinship.
December has been very cold and snowy up to the middle of the month. Winter is surely upon us. Though I do not believe our Savior's Birth was in the wintertime, it is the time that the world celebrates the event...and that is OK with me...as long as we DO celebrate His Birth! My sister, who has been struggling with the illness of her "best friend," her husband Bob Kump, said good-bye to him on the 15th. His fight to regain his health was in vane. My heart is there with Chrisie, even though I cannot be. I am so grateful for the time we spent together in June and July...her time for preparation for the ultimate loss. His suffering is over, and now he is in the arms of our Savior, where he will learn so many truths and prepare a place for his sweetheart to join him one day. Though no one likes to think of losing a loved one at this time of the year...as we celebrate the Savior's birth...the thought came to me that it is actually a good time to say good-bye, knowing that Christ paid the ultimate price for us and because of Him, we have everlasting life.
"...Return with me to that sacred first Christmas in Bethlehem to contemplate the birth of our Lord. He came in the quiet of the night, in the meridian of time. He who is Immanuel, the stem of Jesse, the Day-spring, the Lord Almighty. His birth marked the promised visitation of the Creator to the earth, the condescension of God to man. As Isaiah wrote of the event, 'the people that walked in darkness have seen a great light, they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.'" (Bruce D. Porter, of The Seventy)
Every day, I rejoice in the blessings of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I pray that you, too will reflect on these things and keep "Christ in Christmas."
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