[Note: This article was originally published in December 2023.]
My mind is being pulled in a dozen different directions as my column comes up on Christmas 2023. The first Christmas I remember is when my recently widowed mother spent the night with her married cousin, Eunice and her husband Otto! Santa Clause was coming to the house that night to bring us all gifts, and we must leave him something to snack on. I remember them putting upside down pineapple cake and a coke on the dining room table in anticipation of His certain visit. When I awoke that morning I suddenly remembered my excitement! I ran to the Christmas tree and the wrapped gifts were there at the base. I checked my stocking next…we always hung stockings packed with little gifts and an orange in the toe.
When we all walked into the dining room the huge revelation and the big moment came…Santa had eaten all of the cake and drank almost all the Coke! I can still remember the shocked and amazed feeling that swept over me…even after 85 years! I have since changed ”that miracle” to the “Jesus miracle”! I have easily convinced myself to have every Christmas since 1950…74 years ago…a fresh Jesus appearance! His spirit is present!
The Scripture says that Christmas was the time that Jesus came to save sinners! I decided I agreed with that…He accepted me…and the wondrous details about Him and His love have been pouring in ever since!
Both Mary and Joseph, engaged to be married, had an angel speak to them (Matthew 1 and Luke 2) and began an 80 mile trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem to be taxed when she was eight months pregnant. I call it “the hard trip for two that changed eternity.” They were to begin the first event of what we call Christmas, or Christ Mass (worship). They must have thought “how can God be working in this exhausting trip. No place to stay, no crib to put the baby, no help in the birthing but Joseph without any experienced help…I see Joseph, about 25 and Mary at 15…no angels to instruct them, they only have to call him baby Jesus, the Anointed One, Immanuel (God with us). But immediately the shepherds came because of the angel and the wise men later follow the star. All of us would have been changed if we had been there! The great news is that we were! I was there and heard the angel 1950 years later and Jesus became my Savior and Anointed One as well as my Lord (Luke 2).
I hope all my dear readers have been there! The world hasn’t changed from its chaos, confusion, violence, values, denseness, war, political deceit, evil, suffering, injustice, greed, etc. But I have changed and am changing still…because of that Holy Baby in the manger. I’m still a long way from what I ought to be, but I thank God that I’m definitely more than I used to be. All true Christians can say that as we, too, continue our own journey from our Nazareth to His Bethlehem this Christmas.
