What Christmas Means to Me

What Christmas Means to Me

Our earliest memories often take us back to our fondest recollection of Christmas.........

I recall a long ago Eve December 24, 1953 at the tender age of 4 back home on the farm in Oklahoma.... I will never forget the smell of the fresh pine tree Big Daddy (my great grandfather) had cut down early that morning and how I had helped to string popcorn to decorate it with along side the red paper balls my grandma had tied on the tree with green ribbon......and the little wood manger that lay beneath the tree with a tiny baby wrapped in swaddling cloth representing Baby Jesus......and Big Momma ( my great grandmother) had just finished baking sugar cookies in the kitchen on the wood burning stove/oven.........making certain that they would be ready in time for Santa's arrival...... and the sound I can still hear ever so clearly today of sleigh bells ringing loudly outside in the snow and being told it was Santa's reindeer landing close by ....and the Ho HO HO at the door as it opened and there stood Santa..red suit, white beard and all ( years later I learned it was my grampa) and suddenly out of his big black bag he handed me two presents (I still have to this day) a baby doll and a white, leather cover, Bible with my name inscribed in gold letters on the lower right side of the cover.... I remember my very loving grandma taking me up in her lap and telling me all about the great stories in the little white book that would become my most prized possession in the years to come......and showing me the pictures it held within it's pages of Jesus and Angels..... not realizing at the time how they would see me through many difficult times in the years to come as I held that Book close to my heart..and found great comfort in knowing they were watching over me..... and I can still hear the beautiful sound of my mother singing 'Silent Night" as though she were a real live angel......

Yes I was blessed to have a family that cared so very deeply about one four year old little girl amidst her parents, grand parents and great grandparents to go out of their way to not only bring me a real live Santa... and all the sound effects to boot... but to give me the Greatest Gift of all ...that long ago Christmas Eve 1953..The Word of God....

Knowing that life would knock me down at times and knowing they, as humans, would fail me they gave me a foundation that NO man could ever take from me ... A foundation that would see me through every valley, every storm, every battle, war and attack...that was certain to come........

Yes, what Christmas means to me is being Thankful for Family ... a family that taught me the true meaning of Christmas.....

And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

⁸Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. ¹⁰ Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. ¹¹ For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
¹⁴ “ Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men.