Christmas

I posted this article on my facebook a year ago:


Yesterday I had a realization.

Christmas. What is it? Is it a single day? No. Is it a season? Not exactly. Is it an idea? Not only. Christmas is:

A gift from God. It is such a huge gift that we, as humankind, can have a whole time set aside where we are better people. We give more service. We think about others more. We are happier and more joyful and hopeful about life. We catch the big picture of things. God in his mercy gave us this time to know what it feels like to be truly Christlike.

And then it hit me: it’s not Christmas that’s the gift at all. It’s Christ. God gave us Christ to make our lives better and give us a chance to be happy and be saved. That is Christmas. It is Christ. And in this season is it any wonder that when we are focusing on Christ’s birth and life and example we are happier, more giving, more complete people? Christmas is also:

A lesson from God. If, during this time of being what Christians should be, we find ourselves happier and in love with life and helping others, why in the world don’t we do that all the time? Part of this life is to learn and grow and become Christlike people, and during Christmas God gives us a free sample of what it feels like. God is trying to tell us that we can have this feeling with us all the time.

Christmas is not a day or a season. It’s a gift and lesson from God. Christmas is Christ. Living like Christmas is the way we can follow Him to become more complete and happy and love those around us.