My first taste of a decline in Christmas gifts happened in1990. This was my first Christmas as a single man after being married for a bunch of years. I celebrated with some of my family who lived in Dallas. I remember writing in my journal the sum total of Christmas gifts received that year: a lighthouse painting from my sister and brother-n-law, a shirt from my nephew and his family, and a gift certificate from my work place.
As I reflected back on Christmas ’90 in my journal I felt blessed, not wanting for anything and grateful for my life, my health and my family.
The year of 2008 was a serious transition year for Carolyn and me. I was faced with a declining market in real estate sales and forced to seek employment via other means. Money was tight for much of that year. When Christmas rolled around, we managed to spend a small amount of money on gifts for others in our family and a couple of close friends, but I had to break the unfortunate news to my wife that I felt we did not have any extra money to buy Christmas gifts for each other.
My beautiful wife Carolyn is a winner. She demonstrated such support when I broke that news to her and said some wonderfully reassuring words to the effect that “we will get through this, after all, we have each other.” I could tell she meant it.
I wondered how we would mark Christmas morning in a memorable and meaningful way without the excitement of exchanging gifts and all that goes with it.
WE REVELED IN OUR LOVE
and relationship by sharing a unique Christmas morning that is now a fond memory and will be cherished for a lifetime.
We got up Christmas morning, put on a large pot of coffee, lit a fire in the fireplace and sat side by side on the sofa in the shadow of our small but lovely Christmas tree. I read story after story about Christmas from a storybook we have in our family library.
There were times when we shed tears as I read, and I’ll admit it was painful and a bit sad at times, but we held tightly to each other, hand in hand, side by side, hearts united, and holding onto our love for each other. That Christmas, we discovered that our love was more than enough for any season.
Wow, a love that is enough.
What an incredible thought!
I hope you experience a love that is enough this Christmas.
-That love is demonstrated in the babe in the manger.
-It shows up in the joyful sounds of the season,
both the secular and the religious.
-It shows up in the lights and bling of the decorations.
And it shows up in love expressed for one another.
Call somebody. Offer words of love.
There is enough love that unfolds in the Christmas story for all of us. Christmas is giving gifts for sure, but it is more you know. It is ultimately a love story.
Love!
It’s all about
love,
and redemption,
and hope.
The Giver of the gift has more than enough love for each one of us.
Mike, Thank you so much for sharing your memories and thoughts with us. I really enjoy them. My thought and blessed memories turn to our old church this time every year and the memory of the joy that Bro. Biggs got out of Christmas and the fruit that he always handed out. He always made sure that they were the biggest and best to be found. Not sure whether it was he or James Sheppard that covered that but none the less it was done. Merry Christmas Mike!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mike for your Christmas love story. With all honesty I envy you and am glad to know grace-filled gifts, invisible as they are, help to fill the void I feel. I hope (and that's what I am going on) for the fulfilled promise at God's moment. You're God's man for many who follow your blogs that have noone else to lean on.
ReplyDeleteI'll accept it as my first Christmas gift, and that is all I need.
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