Most people make a quick association with Christmas that includes gaily-wrapped gifts, Santa in his bright red suit, reindeer, sugarplums and the wonderful movies that spark memories and raise spirits.
However, the core of Christmas is a gift, but one from God Himself. Who among us would send a child to save a people knowing that the child would die in the process?
This Christmas, abbreviate the colors of the season, table the bounty of the family dinner and take time to remember the gift that changed our lives forever. True, some do not believe, but for those of us who do, nothing eclipses that first clear night in Bethlehem when an innkeeper took pity on two young people about to become parents and gave them shelter in a stable. Thanks be to God.
Merry Christmas!