The Meaning of Christmas to Me

It is December 28th and the house only has the four of us in it again. We had such a wonderful time visiting with family...Mima, Papa, Grammie, Poppy, Lil' sis and family. I feel full...yes, we are physically full (food was yummy!) but more than that. Does it make sense to say that I am emotionally full??? We just had a wonderful time together and now I feel satisfied or "full" (and I mean the good sense of this word...not bloated or uncomfortably full...maybe it's not the best analogy, but it is all I have right now). Thinking over the time that was spent, I was pondering what to write about. Should I talk about how proud we are of Jeter reciting his verse at the Christmas Eve service or the excitement of the boys giving and receiving presents or...

My mind stopped. Why is Christmas so important to me? The celebration of Jesus Christ's birth is significant for so many reasons but the sole purpose for his birth was for the reconciliation of man to his Creator.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life" John 3:16

The one thing that would separate us from Him entered our hearts - sin. Jesus came to remove that...to wash us clean...so that we could once again converse and have relationship with our Father God.

My testimony is quite simple. I was blessed to be raised in a Christian home. My parents came to know the Lord when I was 2 years old, during the 70's revival. I have since learned that they were on the path to divorce...my life would have been sooooooooooooooooo different without God. My sister wasn't even conceived yet!!! I asked Jesus into my heart when I was 3-1/2 and I don't remember a time in my life when God wasn't a part of it. This doesn't mean that I didn't struggle throughout life or make mistakes. I too had to deal with insecurities, peer pressure and searching for purpose. The blessing is that in the midst of it all, I have known the unconditional love of a Father who is always with me...throughout each season of my life - the peaceful, content moments as well as the violent storms that I felt would sweep me away. He has helped me to stand strong when my knees were weak, to boldly speak when my voice was breathless, and to faithfully pray with conviction amidst unsupportive circumstances. I am married to the most amazing man, Simms and we have been blessed with our two sons, Jeter and Barber. What an awesome responsibility we have to teach them about God and to watch them grow, mature, and walk the path to fulfill their purpose as mighty men of God.

Our pastor recently shared the historical meaning of the phrase "Merry Christmas". Merry actually means mighty and mas means to meet or have an encounter with. Christ refers to Jesus Christ. Therefore, to say "Merry Christmas" means "Have a Mighty Encounter with Jesus Christ". This is what fills my heart when I meditate on Christmas. This is what it means to me. I pray that all of our lives be filled with mighty encounters with Him.