The Traditions

I like the traditions that mark the Christmas season. 

First, there is the Christmas party that my husband’s employer hosts. Though I only see some of these people once a year, when I do see them, I am grateful. 

There is the bookkeeper who labors to dispense weekly paychecks throughout the year, and organizes the Christmas gathering complete with a fun game or two. 

Then there is the boss’s wife who knows all about all the families who work for her husband. She is grateful for all the employees and extends her thanks to everyone for all they do to keep the business reputable.

From an outside observer, it may look like just another company Christmas party, but it is actually a party of people connecting their hearts. 

Then there is decorating the Christmas tree along with bedecking the house. This year, I invited my granddaughter to help me and thankfully she accepted my invitation. 

At eleven, she has an eye for making the simple look extravagant and with little effort, helped me to transform the Christmas tree and my house into a feast of festive lights and color. 

But along with the labor of decorating comes the opportunity for conversation and nurturing our relationship. Even though I’ve known her since she was a babe, I get to stay abreast of the changes and transformations that take place in her life. Our relationship is a gift that keeps on growing. 

Finally, there is the Christmas caroling event at my brother’s church. He pastors a small congregation in a little rural community. Its members are mostly widows and retired professionals. 

Every year, around this time, come snow, rain or clear skies, a portion of the assembly meets specifically to take the message of hope, peace and goodwill toward men out into the community by way of singing Christmas carols.

My brother leads the caravan of cars up and down dark muddy roads, knocks on doors and asks, “Can we sing a few Christmas carols to you?” No one has ever rejected his offer. 

In the dark, cold night, I stand beside those whom I barely know, singing the good news, “Joy to the world, the Lord is come, Let Earth receive her King,” to those I don’t know. And yet, the peace, love, and kindness that is felt among is as tangible as the songbooks we hold in our hands. 

Why Bother? 

Why bother seeing the unseen? Although I do love seeing the lights and the decorations at Christmas time, what I love most is seeing the unseen. The hearts that connect, the relationships that are nurtured and the receptivity of a hopeful message to those who yearn for hope.