The Gift of a Candlelight Ceremony

Another blessed day!  Fabulous breakfast... frittata, crepes, orange bowknots.  All things I rarely (or never) make.  Lots more good visiting and great coffee (always a necessity).

And we went to the Christmas Eve candlelight service.  I almost had myself talked into not going... Jason worked, so it was me responsible for making sure they were clean and presentable.  The kids would have rather played.  I would have rather curled up on the couch or caught up on laundry.  The candle wax burns me every year...   you know, valid reasons.

But we went just the same.  I got out the rest of our cards in the church "mailboxes", picked up ours and let the kids play Legos in the pew (yes, I am that mom), nudging them to listen at the good parts and making them sing with everyone. 

I am so glad we went.  One of my favorite elders spoke about the significance of Christmas.  We get so distracted by the "feel good" stuff of the holidays... like the Lifetime movies and the sappy, "holiday" moments, that even those of us who celebrate Christmas purely because of the birth of Christ get sidetracked by the other "good" stuff.  He urged us to push all that aside for a moment, if only to reflect on the real reason for it all. 

It is impossible to fathom the love the Father has for us to be willing to give us the gift of His Son.  Who, as a parent, could imagine giving your child to anyone, knowing that they would be put to death on a cross?  Not I!!  Never!  Yet, that is what the significance of Christmas is all about.  Knowing that God loves us that much.  So much that He gave the gift of His Son.  An insignificant event then... a birth of a poor child in a stable, became one of the most significant events in the history of the world.  Who would have thought?

I am thankful that I went.  And yes, Leilee, Grady and I were burned with candlewax.  And Leilee ate my communion bread.  But I was given even more perspective tonight. Beyond even my gift of family.  The gift of a candlelight ceremony to remind me of the most significant part of Christmas... the gift of Christ. 

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