Today’s blog is written by Chris Eagle. Read as he shares how his family christmas traditions help him focus on the true meaning of Christmas.
Christmas traditions are something I think we all secretly wait for every year. For many of us, we seem to have some we remember from our childhood, and now maybe even cling to as adults. When I look back to my childhood and Christmas, now as an adult, I truly love the tradition of putting up the Christmas tree. For us, a real pine tree is not an option, our cats like to eat it! The picturesque pulling out of that fake Dillard from the box we store it in, is a thing of beauty! Of course, we always add some type of lights, only to find that one lightbulb that doesn’t work! Probably one of my favorite things is putting up our ornaments. They are from the places we’ve traveled, the things we enjoy, older ones I made as a child, to the ones we received from other family members. I love to think about what the ornament means and how it impacts me and my thoughts and my journey to that very moment in time putting it on the tree.
Amidst the Christmas music, boxes thrown everywhere, fake pine needles and fighting off the animals as they try and help decorate the tree, it is finally time to plug in the lights.
Boom! The lights come on! Woo! This spectacular moment signifies that the tree if finally finished, and it is the beginning of the Christmas season! Finally, I can stop being poked by fake pine branches. Now, the lights don’t just light up the tree, they also light up the room, the window it sits in front of, the yard out front, and can even be seen as folks drive down the road. For most, the lighting of the tree marks the beginning of the Christmas season. For me, the lighting of the Christmas tree represents the virgin birth of Jesus and the arrival of our Savior in the flesh. Matthew 1:23 & 25, “23 Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us). 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.”Jesus brought a beaming light into our world, that bright light still shines today, much like the Christmas tree that shines bright all over our living room and out the window. John 8:12 says, “Again, Jesus spoke to them, saying, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk into darkness but will have the light of life.” I hope we continue to light up all of our trees as a reminder of the light Jesus brought into this world.
As we gather around our beautifully decorated, beaming Christmas tree on Christmas morning, my hope and prayer for everyone is that we remember the birth of our great King many years ago and the light He brings to change the world for eternity!