Christmas in February

Christmas Tree

Cincinnati Zoo, Ohio

2007

Luke 2:10-12 NIV
"But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.'”


My exchange student and I talked today about the meaning of Christmas as she nervously worried about her box of presents that didn't arrive again from The Republic of Georgia. She's afraid they won't be here in time for Christmas.

I told her not to worry about presents. We don't worry about gifts. We focus on the spirit of Christmas. It's not about how many presents are wrapped under the tree.  If hers arrive late, we’ll celebrate Christmas again.

I tried to explain we're celebrating the birth of our Savior. We're focusing on Christ and the light and hope He brought into the world with His birth.

In 1988 I didn't celebrate Christmas in December because my son was kidnapped December 7th. Our presents for him were put up. If the rest of us opened our presents on Christmas Day, I don't recall it.

We found Russell in February 1989, and celebrated Christmas then. I clearly recall the night he opened his presents.  We were in my parents’ bedroom, where we had stashed his gifts.  We pulled them out of the closet, and he tore into them.

Christmas in February felt like Christmas in December to me, and the spirit of Christmas joy was in all our hearts.

Dr. Seuss may have captured the idea about the Christmas spirit best in How the Grinch Stole Christmas:

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store? What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?

Merry Christmas to you and yours!
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Dear Lord, Thank you for your Son, who brought hope for salvation for mankind into this world.