Wonderful Whirlwind of Christmas

Where did the day go? Christmas has sped past. Crumpled wrapping paper, empty gift boxes, and left over food in the refrigerator and back porch are the remnants of Christmas 2018. All of my wrapping on Christmas Eve is a memory. But that is what the holidays with family are for.

Christmas day started out at my sister Kathy and her husband’s house for a family brunch. Their beautifully remodeled home belonged to my grandparents Anna and Edson Beck. Gathering there just seemed to carry on family traditions. Bacon, eggs, sweet rolls, cinnamon rolls, meat and cheese tray, pumpkin pie, and a cheese and potato dish were on the menu. When the meal was over, full stomachs and reminders of family stories were all that were left as we sat around the table and talked. Brunch over, I hurried home to get things in order for my children and grandchildren to visit and to eat a late meal after opening gifts.

The kids decided to limit gifts this year, doing a white elephant gift exchange. Grandpa me excluded himself from the exchange, choosing to provide some gifts for all to open. And there was of course the stocking of small surprises for the grandchildren, including a new Christmas ornament. When my children were young, my wife Cindy bought a pickle ornament to hide on the Christmas tree and the child who found it got an extra surprise gift. It wasn’t expensive, but extended the excitement of Christmas for just a bit longer. Celine, Moriah, and Hannah now have their own pickle ornament for their own tree.

After opening gifts, my living room looked like a battle zone with wrapping paper wads, empty gift boxes, and empty stockings. The wrapping paper “snowball” battle was limited this year when a large canon ball of a paper wad knocked over several of my stemmed votive cups.

My daughter-in-law escaped much of the festivities by not feeling well, maybe the beginning of the flu. Please pray for her. We ate our Christmas meal, still talking and sharing stories. Memories shared and memories made.

The house is quiet again and I have time to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. After the hubbub of the day has died and the stillness of the empty house has returned I am reminded why we celebrate Christmas. It is the birth of God’s only begotten Son and the great gift of eternal life, reconciled from sin, redeemed by his blood, and adopted into his family as joint heirs.