Christmas

"It's coming on Christmas. They're cutting down trees. They're putting up reindeer and singing songs of joy and peace". A song by Joni Mitchell called  "River". Ironically, she sings about wishing she had a river to skate away on, to avoid Christmas. It always makes me a little sad when I hear this song because I love Christmas. Christmas is 1 of my favorite holidays..... Not because of the presents, but because that was when Salvation was born... The preparation time of Advent leading up to Jesus Christ's birth is really a joyous and hopeful season we should all have in our hearts. Realizing that without it, we would be just a wandering multitude of people with nowhere to go.

     Mary, gave us hope by accepting the invitation to be the Mother of God when Angel Gabriel came to her. A Mother to us all. We praise God she said "yes". We praise God for thinking of everything that is good for the salvation of the world. You and me.

     What if she would have said "no" to Angel Gabriel? Things would have been much worse than they are today in our world. Wandering people wiith no purpose, no zeal, no hope for a better life then we have now.

     Christmas is a time of thanksgiving. A time to be joyful and eager to realize that the kingdom that once was lost has been found. Given back to us by little baby to be born in Bethlehem. For Him to take on the world. Coming down from heaven in human form for all of our eyes to see and to learn the lessons He brings. Are we learning the lessons? Or are we still wandering aimlessly like our 1st parents Adam and Eve. After having been given Eden and destroying it by our sins. Taking heed to this realization is beneficial and necessary to achieve our final goal.

     All of the songs and tinsel and gifts are proof that people really do want to be happy. God knew this, so He sent hHmself, in His only Son, Jesus.

      How did he come? He came in poverty and simplicity. Often we look for the greatest treasures in all the wrong things and those that are out of our reach. When God is standing right there before us, waiting for us to see Him and recognize Him in the meek, the old, the lonely and the poor.

     I don't remember that as much as I should. I'm too busy buying presents and decorating the tree and making my day so hurried. Trying to get 1,000,000 things done before the next day starts. When I should be looking in that crib and seeing the Mother and Father and sweet Baby. The Holy family that I want to model my family on. But instead, discouragement in my family makes me turn to distractions that the evil 1 turns me to. Making me get caught up In nothingness that never amounts to really anything, except for spending a lot of money on things I cannot take with me when I'm gone...

     I hear so many people say, "Christmas goes by so fast!". I Myself, even think it. It's time to slow down and just look at that crib. Look and see who God Himself chose to be surrounded by. Lowly animals, and a stable full of straw. A woman and a man who shared in their love for God so much that all 3 became a Holy family. Look at those loving parents, and "Remember". No one wanted to let them in. No one had any room.

     "Hail! and Blessed be the hour! When the Son of God was born to the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold".

     Let us rejoice and sing with a multitude of angels, "Glory to God in the highest, and Peace to men of good will!". It's Christmas! May return from what makes us happy, to what would make God happy.