To Keep From Forgetting

This morning I was reading Sarah's blog. She spoke of us not forgetting the true meaning of Christmas. It spurred a thought process of mine. What's the point of Christmas without Christ? Yes, Santa Clause would then skyrocket in popularity. But let's be honest... America is able to materialize any holiday and even create some of their own (aka Sweetes Day, etc). Yes, our society can take any family holiday and turn it into a bloodthirsty, shop-o-holic experience of pure materialism and anti-family tendencies. I mean seriously... look at what they have done to Thanksgiving. Yes, you "give thanks" while fighting with family and gorging yourself on that "Turkey Day" and then the very next day you go express your thanks by making a mad dash through crowded store, loosing your sanity and personality for the gift that you just "have to have". But whatever happened to a true Thanksgiving?

So maybe it's our job to promote Christ through love and reverence to our Father. It's so easy to get lost in buying the perfect gift for someone, but the truth is that the Perfect Gift has already come. While it may be wonderful to see someone's eyes light up as they open a gift from you, let us not forget how Joseph's eyes must have lit up atthe sight of our Lord. As the weather gets cooler, let us not forget how cold it could have been that night that Christ lay in the stable. Please, may we do whatever it takes to keep from forgetting that Christ is Christmas.

The manger scene is lit.
The cattle all in their stalls.
The angel firmly placed with golden locks flowing down her sholders.
The three wisemen stand at a distance adjusting the placement of their gifts.
The shepherds lean wearily on their staffs, preparing for the long night's stand.
Joseph and Mary lean over the manger, hoping to stirr the perfect example of parenthood.
But what do we discover?
In all the preparation, we have forgotten the most important one.

The manger is empty.

Heaven forbid we ever get to a point in the Christ-following community that we have forgotten Christ on Christmas.