One Christmas Morning

Over the years, there were several Christmases that stand out in my memory.  There was the Christmas morning that I awakened to find the doll I prayed for and the one when I found the white figure skates.  Another time it was a pair of skis just my size and the year there was a sled I wanted.  It seemed as though each year brought delights to my expectant heart. 

However, one Christmas morning I hold most dear.  I was probably eight or nine years old.  I don’t recall what I asked for that year, but I remember it was during war time.  Many things were very scarce and sugar was one of them. What a wonderful treat it was to smell the homemade fudge cooking on our kerosene range.   There were apples, walnuts in the shell and even a few oranges in a bowl on the kitchen table. 

            I went to bed early and had great difficulty falling asleep due to excitement.  Mother had told me that Santa probably would not be able to leave much, because of the war, but as he had never failed to stop at our house; I was still excited.   I kept thinking I heard something on the roof, but was too scared to look out my window.  Dreaming of peppermint sticks and dollies, the next thing I knew, it was morning.  Jumping out of bed and running into the living room, a wondrous sight met my eyes.  Sitting across the top of our sofa, was every doll and stuffed animal that I had and each of them was dressed in a new outfit.  Even Teddy was decked out in a new hat and scarf.  The thought that Santa had dressed all my dolls in new clothes made me feel very special. 

There were other presents under the tree, like paper dolls, books, games and colors; small inexpensive things, but it didn’t matter. I was so happy and excited as I examined each of my doll’s clothes and found some of them were made of the same material as my own clothes.  How Santa did that, I couldn’t imagine.

It was years later that I heard the story of how poor we were that Christmas and my parents couldn’t afford to buy me anything but the few little things wrapped under the tree.  My dear mother had stayed up, night after night, hand sewing little dresses, coats and nighties.  She crocheted each small sweater and scarf and even made doll shoes from cardboard covered with material.

I believe that one Christmas morning was so special, because there was so much love put into it.  The care given to the tiniest detail, like the dolls having dresses that matched mine, made it a never-to-be-forgotten day.

It reminds me of long ago, One Christmas Morning, when a new life began that was God-created.  He knew his people needed a Savior.  He had known from the beginning of time and foretold it over the years to the faithful, who were expectant.  They knew God would not let them down, but someday would visit them on planet earth.  The prophet, Isaiah, rejoiced in the coming event, years before it happened: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”   (Isa. 9:6)

Not only did the Father give His gift to mankind as promised, but he paid attention to every little detail.  The Gift was called, “Jesus” and comes from the Hebrew word, Joshua, meaning, “Yahweh delivered”.   Other names give us understanding of who he was.  Immanuel [God with us], (Matt. 1:23), Son of God (Mark 1:1), Savior [Christ the Lord]  (Luke 2:11), The Word (John 1:1-3), the Life (John 1:4), the Light (John 1:5) and the Glory of God (John 1:14).  He is also called, the Water of life, Bread of life, the Door, the Good Shepherd, the Way, the Truth and the Life.  There are many other names referring to him that explain His character.  God did not give us this special Gift without forethought.

Without a Savior, mankind would be lost forever.  He would need tremendous power to triumph over the enemy.  He must always be there for the people, never leaving or forsaking anyone (Heb. 13:5).  Most of all he must have a love that would cause him to be willing to die for even the most un-deserving  (Luke 23:33-46).  He must have such perfect faith to be raised from the dead (Matt. 28:5-6).  He would deserve to sit at God’s right hand in heaven and intercede for those who believed on him.  (Rom. 8:34).

Finally, this wonderful Gift from God would accomplish the ultimate; he would return as the King of Kings and cause all of God’s people to leave the earth, rising to meet him in the air. “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”  (I Thess. 4:16-17)

There will be a time when One Christmas Morning will arrive and likely a quarter of the population on earth will have disappeared.  What will happen that Christmas following the great disappearance?  Will there still be children in churches portraying the Nativity scene?  Will Christmas carols ring out over the air as carolers wander the streets?  Will families still gather around the tree on Christmas Eve and read from Gospel of Luke?  Will they continue to sing, “Joy to The World, The Lord Has Come” and not understand that He did?

There will be those who know what happened and will spend the day grieving for what they missed.  There will be those not wanting to believe the truth, but the nagging thought continues, that they were left behind.  There will be families where some were taken and others left - what will they celebrate?  For many, fear will replace joy and instead of gladness there will be sorrow.

One Christmas Morning, in a place of indescribable wonder and beauty, God’s children will be rejoicing for The Blessed Hope will have come.  “...we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ....” (Titus 2:13)  There will be no need for Yule trees with twinkling lights; the light of God will shine upon us. “It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.” (Rev. 21:11)  “The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp” (Rev. 21:23)  We won’t need to hold pageants that show the splendor of the wise men.  “The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.”  (Rev. 21:24)  There will be choirs of angels singing glorious songs we have never heard, “Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders.  In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!"  Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!"  (Rev. 5:11-13) 

One Christmas Morning, we will be with the Christ of Christmas, forever more!