And heavy hearts grow lighter, and joyful voices ring to celebrate His birthday and worship Christ, the King.
Alice Mackenzie Swaim
Frosted window panes with snow-covered Christmas scenes grace each storefront along the town square. Each one looks like a vintage Christmas card embellished to capture the onlooker. Twinkle lights set the stage as individually unique designs come to life, and make-believe worlds sit smack dab in the middle of every child’s fantasy world.
Mr. and Mrs. Claus were walking the shops and surprising little ones with a visit from Santa. Charlotte and I were out gathering Christmas surprises when she spotted him. Her excitement was contagious to those who walked the sidewalks. She pointed and told him, “You, Santa Claus!”
Watching the Christmas parade is like unwinding a velvet Christmas ribbon from the spool. The splendor reveals itself in one long thread of beauty. Every float is decorated with holiday cheer, from Nativity scenes to home and hearth scenes. Antique cars shine as they drive slowly past, and the horse and rider covered in Christmas lights make the perfect ending to a delightful evening.
Watching my girl’s face light up with each passing spark makes me hope the Christmas magic will never end.
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“I will move the ornaments around on the tree once the kids are asleep.” Looking up from his string of damaged lights, Chuck replied, “What’s the point of the family decorating the tree if you are just going to move all their ornaments? If you want it perfect, you should do it yourself.” I looked back at the tree; I could see where Charlotte had been based on her height and where Eva had gotten happy with all the animal ornaments and tinsel. He was right. The tree looked perfect, just the way it was.
Each year, Churches will put on annual Christmas plays that remind us all about the true meaning of Christmas. Creative ideas to tell the story will captivate the audience, and families will fill the pews to watch their darlings participate in this grand display. Some familiar characters will stand out more than others, like the whisperer, nose picker, clothes puller, shouter, crier, and the apparent waver.
Christmas verses will be read or quoted, the wise men will appear, and Away in a Manager will be sung with the Nativity scene set to perfection. Cameras will go off in the sanctuary, and families will smile as they watch their son or daughter participate in the true meaning of Christmas.
You could have heard the thoughts of every listener one Sunday morning as our Sunday school teacher spoke, “I know you’re tired. I know the countless hours of homework, sports, Wednesday night services, and other activities. I understand the caroling, the baking, and gift wrapping. You come in tired, dropping off kids for the Christmas play practice. But let me tell you – Keep bringing them. Keep showing up. It impacted you; now do it for them.”
I sat there swallowing a lump in my throat as I thought of the glitter covering our kitchen table while my mother let us make crafts at Christmas — remembering the cold evenings when we would drive to the church for the Christmas play practice. I could hear the snow crunch under the tires as Dad would turn the truck into the parking lot. Recalling the bustle and the busyness made me thankful for the upbringing that found significance in exhausting the true meaning of Christmas, so I would never forget.
I knew by heart the passages found in Matthew and Luke. I knew exactly where my father would read from on Christmas morning. But I also knew it would be lost to the next generation if we didn’t pass it down.
I never want my children to ask where the Christmas story is found. I want them to know it is found from cover to cover in the Bible. I want it so ingrained in their minds that they can answer for the most powerful story ever told without hesitation.
When my children tell me of all the memories that surround their Christmastime, from the picking of the tree to a small-town Christmas parade, I want them to recall, more than all the festivities, the tired eyes that pressed on to make sure they were a part of the church Christmas play.
But you Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me One who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from old, from ancient times. Micah 5:2
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