Do You Hear What I Hear?

I was rather alarmed to overhear my daughter tell one of her little friends on Sunday that we don't celebrate Christmas at our house.  My jaw just about hit the floor!  She then followed that tidbit with "We celebrate Christmas at Nana's house."

Nana's house is where the Christmas tree, piles of presents, and the Christmas dinner is.

Is that what my kids think "celebrating Christmas" is all about?  I was almost ready to cry.

We exchange presents at Thanksgiving within our own family.  We started doing this a few years ago when the "Christmas craziness" got overwhelming.  So, we don't give each other presents at Christmas, but we still give gifts to people outside our immediate family.  We send out cards, mainly because that is the only time we have contact with some of those people on our Christmas card list.  I put up a few decorations at home, mostly snow themed, and I don't take them down until we get tired of winter!  I do special crafts with my kids and we try to think of a few fun things to do outside the house as well.

It rather grieves me that my daughter seems to think we don't celebrate Christmas because we don't do the same things as other people.  We remember that Christ came into this world.  He didn't come to be a cute little baby in a manger, as many people like to picture Him this time of year.  Christ came to suffer and die to purchase our salvation.  We remember his death every Lord's Day when we gather for the Breaking of Bread.  My husband made an interesting point the other night in a message - Christ only spoke once of His own birth (John 18.37), but many times of His death.

When we remember the Lord's death, we sit in a large circle around a small table on which is the bread  and the cup.  It is simple yet meaningful.  Why can we not remember His birth in a simple way as well?

  Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. 

2 Corinthians 9.15