Today we were asked to talk about Keeping Christ in Christmas. When we were first married, I was asked to give this same talk. I think it was probably only the 2nd talk I had given since joining the Church. It was also easily the best talk I have given.
As this year has gone by since we moved into the ward, I kept wondering when the call to talk would come and I felt all along that it would be at Christmas time. I honestly thought that I would be able to review that talk I had given so many years ago and draw on the stories that I had told. Once the call did come, I searched high and low, it was nowhere to be found which was really a blessing in disguise as it gave me the opportunity to uncover and tell new stories.
Today I will focus on three areas where we can practice Keeping Christ in Christmas. The first is changing our focus from what we receive to what we give.
In the December 1995 Ensign Thomas S. Monson wrote: “What did you get for Christmas?” This is the universal question among children for days following that most celebrated holiday of the year. A small girl might reply, “I received a doll, a new dress, and a fun game.” A boy might respond, “I received a pocketknife, a train, and a truck with lights.” Newly acquired possessions are displayed and admired as Christmas day dawns, then departs. The gifts so acquired are fleeting. Dolls break, dresses wear out, and fun games become boring. Pocketknives are lost, trains do nothing but go in circles, and trucks are abandoned when the batteries that power them dim and die. If we change but one word in our Christmas question, the outcome is vastly different. “What did you give for Christmas?” prompts stimulating thought and causes tender feelings to well up and memory’s fires to glow ever brighter. Giving, not getting, brings to full bloom the Christmas spirit. Enemies are forgiven, friends remembered, and God obeyed. The spirit of Christmas illuminates the picture window of the soul, and we look out upon the world’s busy life and become more interested in people than things. To catch the real meaning of the spirit of Christmas, we need only drop the last syllable and it becomes the Spirit of Christ.” (end quote).
If you take a moment and think to Christmases past what memories flood your mind? I am sure that if I sat and thought about it a moment I could recall some of the gifts that were handed to me from under the tree last year. But as I think to last Christmas the memory that shines through was a sweet act of kindness offered by a friend.
Michelle didn’t have much money for gifts last year. Job changes had caused her husband to move to San Diego while she stayed in caring for her two small children and preparing to sell their home. While money was tight, her heart was big. She had several friends that she wanted to give Christmas gifts to. So, one Saturday morning amidst the rush of Christmas she opened her home and invited parents to drop off their children for several hours. While Michelle gathered in the children for crafts, snacks, and games. The parents were given the gift of time to run errands, wrap presents, finish last minute shopping, or simply share time together. This act of service was truly in keeping with the true meaning of Christmas. It was easily one of the most memorable gifts I have ever received and it didn’t cost a thing. It won’t go out of style, wear out, or break.
Yesterday we had the opportunity to offer the same invitation to some of our dear friends. A gift of time, we called it. For five hours, we had 15 kids in our home and it was wonderful. As the parents came by to drop off their children you could see in their faces how much it meant to them-surely far more than anything I could have bought at a store.
President Monson also said, “The Christmases we remember best usually have little to do with worldly goods but a lot to do with the spirit of caring, the spirit of love, and the spirit of compassion.” 5 years from now I doubt my children will remember the toys they will receive next week, but I hope that they will always remember sharing a day with their friends.
As you look forward to this coming week, look for opportunities to serve one another and to create memories that are wrapped up in love and charity rather than ribbons and bows. Seek out opportunities to give more often than you receive. And to give with a humble heart and generous spirit.
The second way we can keep Christ in Christmas is remembering to say it. Over the years, the phrase “Merry Christmas” has been heard less and less in greetings between strangers. Somewhere along the line it became politically incorrect and many people began saying “Happy Holidays” or “Season’s Greetings” for fear of possibly offending someone.
The other night I happened to be out shopping. After trying on some clothes the attendant wished me “Happy Holidays”. While her greeting was polite it seemed automatic and without emotion. Several years ago I decided to always say Merry Christmas this time of year, whether it be to fitting room attendant, waitress, cashier, colleague, or otherwise So I replied to her, “Merry Christmas” Her face lit up and she said, “Merry Christmas to you sweet heart. I hope all your dreams come true.”
While it might seem that saying “Merry Christmas” is a small way to keep the true meaning of Christmas alive, it is a small thing that isn’t really all that small at all. Because at the heart of that simple phrase, “Merry Christmas” is a declaration of your belief in Jesus Christ and in the miracle of his birth. Every time you say Merry Christmas you are sharing the core belief of your testimony. That Christ our Savior was born so many years ago on that night in I encourage you to take every opportunity to speak those sweet words each chance you get in the coming days. And each time you offer this sweet greeting, let your heart turn to the savior and remember if only for a moment the miracle of his birth.
Finally, as we look for ways to keep Christ in Christmas seek out those gifts that cannot be wrapped. Howard W Hunter counsels: “This Christmas, mend a quarrel. Seek out a forgotten friend. Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust. Write a letter. Give a soft answer. Encourage youth. Manifest your loyalty in word and in deed. Keep a promise. Forgo a grudge. Forgive an enemy. Apologize. Try to understand. Examine your demands on others. Think first of someone else. Be kind. Be gentle. Laugh a little more. Express your gratitude. Welcome a stranger. Gladden the heart of a child. Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth. Speak your love and then speak it again.”
Earlier this month I was shopping at Cost Plus and I came across the perfect card to go with this quote. The card is entitled, The Greatest Gifts and reads- “May we break boundaries, tear down walls and build on the foundation of goodness inside of each of us. May we look past differences, gain understanding, and embrace acceptance. May we reach out to each other, rather than resist. May we be better stewards of the earth, protecting, nurturing, replenishing the beauties of nature. May we practice gratitude for all we have, rather than complain about our needs. May we seek cures for the sick, help for the hungry, and love for the lonely. May we share our talents, give our time, and teach our children. May we hold hope for the future very tenderly in our hearts and do all we can to build for bright tomorrows. And may we love with our whole hearts, for that is the only way to love.”
I loved this card because with such simple language it truly speaks of the many ways that we can move our focus toward the Spirit of Christ. While fulfilling each item on that list couldn’t possibly happen in the next few days. One item on that list calls out to me year after year. Help for the hungry.
When Ben and I were first married like many newlyweds we didn’t have a lot of money. I can remember one day in December I was at the grocery store and near the checkout they had bags of food that you could purchase and then place in a donation box for the local families in need. One particular night I was at the store and saw the bags. I felt prompted to pick up one of those bags, but in considering our finances ultimately chose not to. As I was driving home I was flooded with a feeling of remorse. Sure, we didn’t have a lot, but we had a lot more than some people. With a $5 donation, I could have kept someone from being hungry if even for just one day. It was a lesson that I have never forgotten. To this day, as soon as the donation bags arrive I can’t go the grocery store without adding one to my cart.
Maybe the next time you find yourself in the grocery store you also will feel the prompting to add an item or two to the donation box. A simple act that so purely honors the life of our Savior. “For I was an hungered and ye gave me meat. I was thirsty and ye gave me drink, I was a stranger and ye took me in… Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”
In the coming days I encourage you to actively seek ways to do as Christ would do. To remember his birth and to act in ways that honor his life. Take this week to truly focus on the real meaning of the joyous day of his birth. In our home, we will be reading the story of his birth each night as a bedtime story. I encourage you to do the same. I know that as you do this your spirit will be lifted and your days will be blessed. And I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
