I was at the mall today and couldn't help but notice all the Christmas decorations that were already up. Now I don't know about you, but when I think of Christmas, I think of family, so this afternoon I smiled as I reminisced about past holiday seasons. So many fond memories.
There is the one Christmas when a supporting church sent my family two giant boxes full of gifts during our first term in Papua New Guinea. What I remember most that year was not the gifts themselves, but the newspaper war we had with all the packaging after gifts had been opened. If my memory serves me correctly, one year we celebrated Christmas in July when a package of gifts that had been lost in the mail finally arrived. Other years, while on furlough, we celebrated with one side of the family on Christmas Eve and the other side of the family about a week later. On our "Second Christmas" that year we woke up to snow, which was always a special treat for MK's from a tropical island. I remember my senior year in high school, when I made a Christmas mix CD for my "Secret Santa." With classic Christmas songs sung by contemporary artists and other songs like "Mele Kilikemaka" by Bing Crosby and The Andrew's Sisters, it is still a favorite. So nostalgic.
As I was remembering all these Christmases, I began thinking about this coming Christmas. Spending the holidays with family is not always a guarantee for an MK. This year my parents and my younger sisters are in the US so this Christmas will be spent with my family. For that I am truly grateful. Actually, this will be the second Christmas in a row that I will get to spend with my family. If it hadn't been for my youngest sister's medical crisis last October, my family would be back in PNG right now. I guess some things, even near death experiences, are blessings in disguise. As it is, God is good and this Christmas will be spent with my family, youngest sister included. But even if that weren't the case, God would still be good, wouldn't he?
This question is where my thoughts took me this afternoon at the mall. Next year I have no idea where I will be spending Christmas. For all I know I could be in another country, thousands of miles away from any family member. If I spent next Christmas alone, would I still be okay? If I didn't have all the gift giving and receiving, the Christmas tree, the family traditions, would I be content? In all honesty, I don't know. Without experiencing it personally, it is hard to say. Though I have spent Christmases with grandparents, thousands of miles away from immediate family, would I be content with Christmas alone in an apartment? Granted, wherever I may be, there will surely be families and friends to share the holiday with, but would that be enough for me? I wonder.
Of course, I know that what it ultimately comes down to is that Christmas isn't really about me, or my family, or the gifts, the tree and the traditions. Christmas is about Christ. It is about God sending His Only Son to earth, to live among us and ultimately die for us. The beauty of Christmas is not found in family so much as it is found in Christ giving up His glory and power to become a mortal. That is beautiful. He gave it all up so that He might die in our place and make us a part of His family.
I have this mental image of a child, once alone, now suddenly brought into a family to celebrate Christmas. Imagine it yourself: though you don't deserve it, you are welcomed. They treat you as if you have always been a part of the family, as if you belong. You get to enjoy food and the fellowship with your new family, and what is more, there are even gifts under the tree with your name on them. This is what Christmas is really about. It's not about my family, or yours, but about the family about God.
No matter where I may find myself next Christmas, I will always be a part of that family. I may find myself thousands of miles from my earthly family, and I may spend the day itself alone in an apartment somewhere. Even so, I must remember what Christmas really means to those who are a part of the family of God. It will take some work and it probably won't come easily, but I believe that you and I can learn to be content with Christmas, content for the right reasons.Labels: family, reflections