Am I Closer To Christ At Christmastime?
The magic of Christmas is real for most people. It is made real for children by parents who build anticipation by decorating our homes, playing Christmas music, and telling stories of magical characters like Santa. As we grow older, we share good-will greetings and smiles with strangers. We think of others as we contemplate giving gifts. But the real magic of Christmas comes when we contemplate the birth, life, mission, and atonement of the Savior of the world.
There is nothing new in any of those things until we stop to think about how different these things are from the rest of the year when there are no decorations, special music, magical stories, only the routine and mundane. The one constant thing is Christ. We have at least one weekly reminder of him when we participate in the ordinance of the sacrament. Our daily reminders come in the form of prayer and meditation.
So, what is the difference between Christmastime and the rest of the year? I believe it is in our attitudes. Often, we get caught in feedback loops, either positive or negative. At Christmas, we break the circuit, so to speak, that binds us to downward or upward spirals. We change our surroundings with symbolic decorations. We act positively towards others. Likewise, we listen to sacred or nostalgic music with messages of better times and hope in the birth of a baby destined to save us all. We believe in magic and have a little more hope because of Christ.
This year, we read the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Did we draw closer to the Savior? Did we change our surroundings with sacred symbols? Was our music selection aimed at bringing positivity and hope into our thoughts? Were we a little more kind to others? Were our thoughts more Christ-centered?
The spirit of Christmas is the spirit of Christ. If we want, we can make every day Christmas. We can think of gifts we can give others that will make their day a bit better. We can keep little scared symbols around us that turn our thoughts to Christ. We can express our love for Jesus by being Christlike towards others. We can see our lives as gifts from a loving Father in Heaven and express our love for him by keeping his commandments.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!