It's Christmas Once More

Just wondering, have you gotten into the 'Christmas Spirit'? If you answered yes, what precipitated the change? Was it the snow we have already experienced? Or was it all the Christmas stuff in the stores at Thanksgiving or setting up the tree in the living room? Most of us start to have a change of heart when one certain thing happens. Things similar to those I just mentioned and more. This year there were indeed new things, especially early, very early Christmas decoration up in the stores. Then there was the early Christmas music on the radio way before Dec. 1.

You have yours and I would like you to share them with me. Just drop me a line. But right now I will share my three. These memories go way back into the '1950's. What they, and yours were, has a direct connection to what I believe many of us attribute to our first feelings of Christmas. The first one was our first trip of December, on the bus to downtown Hamilton with mom. It was the trip that took us to Eaton's Department Store. Kathryn Smith captured so well the feeling I remember in her paintings. kathrynsmith.com  I have the one of the window. There in all its wonder was the animated Christmas window display. There were animated people, trains moving, and carolers caroling. Most of the time we would be so excited we wouldn't notice the cold. We would talk and talk about what we were seeing and getting quiet, imagining ourselves in the window as well.

The second one can on Christmas Eve morning. Again, off to downtown and we would quietly walk, crunching our feet in the snow from Gore Park to Wellington St. looking in most of the windows, dreaming about tomorrow. This time it was exciting to see all the other windows and go in Grafton's to get dad's new Christmas shirt. Then cross the street and end up in Zellers for some rock candy that would end up in our stockings the next morning.

The last event brought it all together late on Christmas Eve. Just recently I realized what was so captivating about these moments. It was the silence. At the window with faces pressed against the glass, walking the silent streets on Christmas Eve morning and sitting in worship filled with so many quiet pauses as the minister of our church read the Christmas Story. I was silently taking it all in.

It was and is the silence. And on this day, right now as you read this. Find something special about sitting in the silence, knowing Jesus is sitting in the stillness of the moment with you.

That my friend is my JOY of Christmas.

Something to think about

Rob