A Christmas Post: The Perfect Gift

I see "holiday trees" strung with lights and decorated with shiny ornaments.  I see wreaths on doors and lights everywhere, on street corners and strung around houses.  I see presents, lots of presents, more than most people need or want wrapped elaborately.  I see Santa Clause in the local mall with children standing in line, anxiously awaiting to tell this strange man all their desires. I see Frosty blew up in my neighbor's yard.  I find Christmas cards in my mailbox that are professionally edited.  I see holiday treats, candy canes, tacky sweaters, eggnog, peppermint mochas, and hot chocolate.  I see Happy Holidays everywhere I look.

What I don't see is nativity scenes or "Merry Christmas" because these things are no longer politically correct and might possibly offend someone's religious beliefs, which I don't understand.  I would take no offense if someone told me Happy Hanukkah or Kwanzaa.  These are all just merely greetings expressed with love to wish you happiness.  During my holiday, I celebrate Christmas, the time my Savior was born.  My life would be forever altered if God had not loved the world so much that he sent His Son to die for my sins.  I would not have hope, grace, mercy, or eternal life.  So even if you don't believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Great I Am, the Kings of Kings, you have to admit he was a pretty awesome person, the most awesome person ever in my book.  So if you are like me, and at times forget what Christmas is all about, here is a Christmas story about the greatest gift ever given, the greatest love story ever written:

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.  This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.  So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.  Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,  to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.  So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.  And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.   And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.  Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

 “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”  And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.  And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.  But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.  Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

Luke 2:1-20

Merry Christmas (of course in the most politically correct way) to everyone out there! I hope you are filled with the joy of the season!