In a few days, children will wake up with glee to open presents underneath the Christmas tree. The anticipation that has been building up for weeks will come to an end with wrapping paper scattered throughout the house and batteries inserted into high-tech toys that would make Thomas Edison blush with envy.
As a young child, I can remember the difficulty going to bed on Christmas Eve as I thought about my wish list of presents I had picked out from the huge Sears catalog. At the break of dawn, I would wake up and quietly sneak into the living room to see all the colorfully wrapped presents under the lit tree and I would look for my name on the largest boxes, hoping they were mine.
What made that one day particularly exciting was the build-up towards Christmas from the traditions that have been handed down for generations. The Christmas cards, songs, decorations, and food were all part of the ambiance that got people into the season of giving. Christmas has become a worldwide celebration for Christians and non-Christians alike. Sometimes it is difficult to make the distinction because both celebrate similar themes publicly and in their homes.
As I’ve transitioned from believing in Santa Claus to being Santa Claus, I have tried to examine what really makes this season so special for anyone who celebrates it. Traditions are an important part of any celebration, and the giving of gifts has become essential, but what is it that really makes the season so memorable?
In my opinion, it is the presence and not the presents that makes this time so wonderful. Christmas tends to bring people together in a way that rarely happens at any other time of the year. People bond through the giving of gifts, the sharing of food, and the parties and personal moments that cause friends and family to enjoy one another even more. It’s a time to put personal biases and petty differences aside and look at our commonalities as brothers and sisters of the human family.
By becoming present in the moment to the needs of others and showing our concern and sharing our time, talent, or gifts with them, we become better people and help to make the world a better place to live in. Christmas is a time to look deeply inside ourselves and examine how we fit with the world outside ourselves, and realize that we may not be able to change the world, but we can make sure people know we are present.
One way to let others know you are present is to focus more on the moments, rather than the money. Think about your most memorable moments from Christmas past and in most cases it will be filled with the presence of loved ones versus the presents from loved ones. Yes, there are memorable times when you received that extra special gift that stands distinctly out in your mind. However, it was also having someone present to share the moment that made it so special. (Try playing Rock’em Sock’em Robots with yourself.)
The presents act as a catalyst to bring people together and share more of their presence. Having one without the other greatly diminishes the moment. This is especially apparent when loved ones are not present due to geographical distance, work demands, health issues, or military service. The presents they give are a minor substitute for their physical presence that is sorely missed.
This Christmas we will be sharing our presents with all of our children, but as our family has grown and some of the children moved to different parts of the world, we will be missing the presence of four of our children and three grandchildren. One joyous event we will particularly delight in is the reunion of our oldest son Joshua, his wife April and their two children. It will be beyond words for us to welcome them to Saipan for the first time and to share our presence with each other in a way that will hopefully be remembered as a special moment in all our lives.
As you open your presents on Christmas, remember that it is because of the intense love of a Father who was willing to give the presence of his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, that we truly celebrate this day. His greatest gift will not be anything that can be wrapped with a bow, but the opportunity for true believers to enjoy His eternal presence. However you decide to celebrate the season with your presence, I want to wish you and your loved ones a merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” – John 3:5
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