Christmas is a special time of year for me. I love the colored lights and decorations and the music. In my opinion, Christmas carols are the most beautiful music ever written. I enjoy riding through neighborhoods looking at the beautiful lights, and I enjoy the special services at church: the cantatas, the Vespers service with the reenactment of the birth of our Savior. Of course, I also enjoy the delicious food, gifts, and the fellowship of family and friends.
I was always the one to decorate our Christmas tree at home. However, when our boys became old enough, they did all the decorating. The younger son's birthday was on Thanksgiving; so when his party was over, he and his brother would bring out the decorations. While they put up the tree and the lights outside, their dad and I would wrap presents.
It is such a delight to see Christmas through the eyes of children--to watch their excitement as they tear off the wrappings of that special gift--one that they had wanted all year but didn't think they'd get. One Christmas, however, this didn't happen at our house. It seems that our boys had opened their presents at night after we were asleep, played with them, and then rewrapped them. They were so good, we never suspected a thing. On Christmas morning, they didn't want to unwrap their gifts with us.
The next Christmas, however, we hid all their gifts somewhere else except for a couple of things for each boy. Of course they unwrapped them and found clothes. Only clothes--how disheartening! As Christmas Day approached, the boys became sadder and sadder. The younger one said, "This is the worse Christmas ever."
On Christmas morning they didn't want to get up. They already knew what "Santa Claus had brought them." Finally, when they did go into the living room, they shrieked in surprise! Gifts were piled all around the tree--gifts they hadn't seen before. A little while later in the midst of wrapping paper and toys, the younger boy turned to me and said "Mom, this is the best Christmas ever!"
I wonder how our Heavenly Father must have felt on that first Christmas morning when he had just given his gift to the world. Did the people of Bethlehem feel that this was the best Christmas ever?
