We have a christmas joke at my house. "Want some light-up tennis shoes?" When I was about 6 or 7 the best thing I got for Christmas one year was a pair of light-up tennies. This was a very cool gift and I'm well aware that many kiddos (here in the US and in other parts of the world) would really think it was something great to receive a new pair of light-ups, but the humorous part is that my father absolutely detests the giving (or receiving) of anything as practical as clothing, least of all a pair of shoes.
My parents had picked out several great gifts for me that year. Every. Single. One. Broke. (Except for my tennis shoes which I apparently cuddled with as if they were a stuffed animal the night after opening them.) One of those ride-in electronic cars… dead with-in 4 hours. (And apparently not covered by the warranty. I don't remember getting a replacement.) A neon colored pogo stick... I wasn't heavy enough to engage the spring and fell off (multiple times.) A plastic golf cub play set… a neighbor kid came over to play Christmas afternoon, leaned on the driver like it was a real club… popped the head off. There were tears that Christmas Day.
I've been told about another pre-Christmas shopping trip that involved a few tears. I was chilling in the cart at Toys-R-Us while mom and dad picked out gifts for all my cousins. I'm guessing I was 3 or 4. As we were waiting in the check-out line my parents noticed that I had large tears rolling down my cheeks. When they asked me what was wrong I looked at the bounty of toys around me and listed off everyone they had just bought gifts for and pointed out that there was nothing in the cart for me. They tell me that this was not a toddler throwing a tantrum about wanting a toy. I had yet to grasp the concept of a surprise and was genuinely perplexed and heart-broken that my own parents didn't want to buy me a Christmas gift.
I'm 26. I understand (and delight in) the concept of surprise gifts. I know that broken things can be replaced. But over the last couple of years I've found myself crying again at Christmas time. The reason? My conviction over the truth of Christmas compels my emotions.
I believe it all. Angels appearing out of no where. A virgin girl giving birth. Shepherds being scared to death by an ethereal choir. Men traveling a great distance to throw the weirdest baby shower ever. A fiancé who trusted and acted on an unthinkable, scandalous, idea from a being in a dream.
The Christmas story is a story of fulfilled promises. For thousands of years God had promised, "I'm coming to fix this. I've got a plan. Hold on. My son is coming." And then when it was right the KING of HEAVEN and EARTH stepped down from His throne. Gave up His right to everything and said, "I want that girl in my family. I want her so badly that I am willing to pay with my own life. She hates me right now. She will hate me a lot. She will deliberately try to hurt me, run from me and choose to please herself over me. But I love her, I created her to worship me and so I will make a way for her to be my very own daughter."
In church yesterday we watched a video called True and Better. It's an animation piece by a producer that I really enjoy. (Dan Stevers - www.danstevers.com - video linked below) I once again found myself crying at Christmas. Finally! True and Better arrived on the scene. That is why we celebrate Christmas. True and Better entered into our mess, paid our debt, and offers us a gift that we cannot earn and do not deserve. True and Better promises that we will see Him again. In the meantime He is making us ready to be His bride and when the time is right, He will fix everything, make all things new and will love and cherish us forever.
And that is why you can still find this 26 year old tomboy crying (tears of unbelieving joy) at Christmastime.
My parents had picked out several great gifts for me that year. Every. Single. One. Broke. (Except for my tennis shoes which I apparently cuddled with as if they were a stuffed animal the night after opening them.) One of those ride-in electronic cars… dead with-in 4 hours. (And apparently not covered by the warranty. I don't remember getting a replacement.) A neon colored pogo stick... I wasn't heavy enough to engage the spring and fell off (multiple times.) A plastic golf cub play set… a neighbor kid came over to play Christmas afternoon, leaned on the driver like it was a real club… popped the head off. There were tears that Christmas Day.
I've been told about another pre-Christmas shopping trip that involved a few tears. I was chilling in the cart at Toys-R-Us while mom and dad picked out gifts for all my cousins. I'm guessing I was 3 or 4. As we were waiting in the check-out line my parents noticed that I had large tears rolling down my cheeks. When they asked me what was wrong I looked at the bounty of toys around me and listed off everyone they had just bought gifts for and pointed out that there was nothing in the cart for me. They tell me that this was not a toddler throwing a tantrum about wanting a toy. I had yet to grasp the concept of a surprise and was genuinely perplexed and heart-broken that my own parents didn't want to buy me a Christmas gift.
I'm 26. I understand (and delight in) the concept of surprise gifts. I know that broken things can be replaced. But over the last couple of years I've found myself crying again at Christmas time. The reason? My conviction over the truth of Christmas compels my emotions.
I believe it all. Angels appearing out of no where. A virgin girl giving birth. Shepherds being scared to death by an ethereal choir. Men traveling a great distance to throw the weirdest baby shower ever. A fiancé who trusted and acted on an unthinkable, scandalous, idea from a being in a dream.
The Christmas story is a story of fulfilled promises. For thousands of years God had promised, "I'm coming to fix this. I've got a plan. Hold on. My son is coming." And then when it was right the KING of HEAVEN and EARTH stepped down from His throne. Gave up His right to everything and said, "I want that girl in my family. I want her so badly that I am willing to pay with my own life. She hates me right now. She will hate me a lot. She will deliberately try to hurt me, run from me and choose to please herself over me. But I love her, I created her to worship me and so I will make a way for her to be my very own daughter."
In church yesterday we watched a video called True and Better. It's an animation piece by a producer that I really enjoy. (Dan Stevers - www.danstevers.com - video linked below) I once again found myself crying at Christmas. Finally! True and Better arrived on the scene. That is why we celebrate Christmas. True and Better entered into our mess, paid our debt, and offers us a gift that we cannot earn and do not deserve. True and Better promises that we will see Him again. In the meantime He is making us ready to be His bride and when the time is right, He will fix everything, make all things new and will love and cherish us forever.
And that is why you can still find this 26 year old tomboy crying (tears of unbelieving joy) at Christmastime.
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