The Christmas card I had printed was a surprise when it arrived; it was much larger that I had envisioned. In fact, it was enormous. Special envelope...probably extra postage. The photo on the front was one of Allen Ray & me on the Blue Ridge Parkway, taken last fall when we were there with Sadie Kay and Ray Crumbley. It's a nice photo. In the past I have used photos of us with the grandchildren or the grandchildren alone. This year it's just Allen & me because that is who lives here. Maybe it was the size of the card, maybe it was because it was just the two of us, but I was suddenly struck with the fact that the Christmas card said nothing about the purpose of the holiday. It is Jesus' birth. The only hint of the "reason for the season" was Christ-mas. Is that enough?
For many years I sent only religious themed cards--never a Santa Clause in the greeting. Then one year I found a really cute card with a little mouse who was mixing up some Christmas cookies. I guess on the night before Christmas someone WAS stirring! I moved on to pictures of the grandchildren on the front of the card. My family would enjoy seeing how the kids had grown over the year. But the card I sent this year seems to be totally divorced from the "God became man" core of the holiday.
I hesitated to write about this subject. I get many cards from friends with pictures of themselves and their children. I enjoy seeing and displaying them, but has this become a distraction from the true meaning of Christmas? We have so many distractions to keep us from time alone with God. So many things we must do, many things we do to entertain ourselves. Before we realize it the day is gone, we are sleepy and we have no time left for anything. The day has been empty of spiritual food.
The cards are finished. Allen will mail them for me today. I'm not sure what I will do next year, but I know the card will not be like the gigantic one I sent this year. Maybe I'll write a poem for the card. (or not! I'm terrible at writing poetry!) Maybe I'll put a small picture of us on it. I'm going to want to celebrate the birth of the Savior God sent to earth that long, long ago.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
