Monday, December 1, 2014

The Gift

Yesterday we had the opportunity to have the Sister missionaries over for dinner. It's always good to have them over and feel of the spirit that they bring. After dinner the Sisters shared a spiritual message with us. They shared a video titled "He is the Gift". After viewing the video each of us was asked what we thought and what stood out to us in the video.

My answer to this inquiry was to state that Christmas seems to be getting pushed into the background noise. We have to be more PC around this time of year and not seem to mention the word Christmas at all. It is a lot different than when I was growing up and Christmas was the focus of the holiday season. My mind also went back to a clip from "Merry Christmas Charlie Brown".

The real reason we have Christmas is because our Heavenly Father sent His Son to the earth. As we read in John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

One of my favorite Christmas carols tells why this Gift was so important:

Oh Holy Night, the stars are brightly shining, it is the night of our dear Savior's birth.
Long lay the world, in sin and error pining, till he appeared and the soul felt it's worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, for yonder lay a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh hear the angels voices! Oh night divine!
Oh night, when Christ was born.

So this Christmas season let's remember that if it weren't for the Father sending his Son we wouldn't be celebrating. We wouldn't be looking to Black Friday to get deals on gifts. We wouldn't be looking forward to Bad Sweater parties or holiday work parties. We wouldn't be spending time with our families on that eve where the true meaning of Christmas is shared by reading the account found in Luke Chapter 2. The first Gift of Christmas has led to this time of celebration, we must always remember this Gift above all others.