Merry Christmas

I was remembering today, when I was driving the kids to the nearest mall an hour away, about my childhood Christmas memories. When my sisters and I would try to sneak out of our rooms to see our presents "Santa" would leave. My Dad had pairs of long jingle bells and he would booby trap the doors with thread tied to the doorknobs and was taut enough that if we tried to open the door it would break. Well, little did Dad and Mom know that my hands were thin enough to fit through the small space in the door, and by opening it really slowly it stretched the thread, and Trisha would hand me the scissors, we had to keep a spare pare in there for special occassions, and I would cut the thread and release us all. Me, Trish, and Trace would look at Mom and Dad's room to make sure they didn't hear us and weren't coming out before making a run for the living room. What we didn't know is that Dad would tie a separate pair of jingle bells at ankle height so we would break it and wake them up, which we did. So many times trying to fool them, only to be fooled right back. I find myself now, as a Mom of a 19, 18, & 16 year-old, trying to make their's just as memorable, so I buy a gag gift for each and every one of them and put them in their beds. This year it's multicolored fuzzy socks for everyone....my kids and their other halves! I wonder how my Mom and Dad did it. We opened our gifts, we had grandparents homes to go to, then our family reunions, which had EVERYONE!!! I think I miss that the most. Seeing everyone happy, laughing, and having a good time. Aunts and uncles, cousins that you only saw 2 times a year, and both at the reunions at Christmas and then again during the summer. Something I wish I could have one more time. So many memories and if I wrote them down here, we'd still be reading them Christmas 2009. But then I know that there is another memory of Christmas, and this one, none of us was here for, but I'll try and explain what I am thinking. Today of all days, we not only celebrate by opening presents and sitting down for a large meal, but we remember how it all started. With Joseph and Mary having a small baby in a manger in a barn because no one had room for them. Today sometimes the meaning of Christmas is a little blurred by what it really means, and what people have made it out to be. We should be thankful that our family is here with us, and not overseas where we don't know what is happening, or if they are okay. We need to be thankful for those people who are keeping the peace, and never knowing if they will be coming home. We need to help those who are homeless, not because they want to be, but because, of circumstances unknown, they have to be. We need to pray for the safe return of each and every one those people overseas. We need to pray for the people without a place to go, to have a warm bed and plenty of nourishment. We also need to pray to the one who was sent to us, who gave us so much joy, hope, peace, and healing, only to have him taken away in order for us to be saved.