THE box!

Do you remember as a child, looking at all the presents under the Christmas tree in expectation?  Even now, each of us are drawn to a certain type of box.  Maybe it's a small box that could contain jewelry or a key?  OR sometimes it's the REALLY BIG BOX that catches our eye.

As we stare at the beautifully wrapped box with the perfect red bow our minds take us to all the I WANTS that we have rattled off over the past year.  

Could it be those diamond earings?  

Or the key necklace?  

Oh I be I got the XBOX i wanted!

We do it.  We ALL do it - even if we are not the type that really want much.

The image in my mind is of a little kid.  He wrote his Santa list with his sights on some AMAZING things.  He's dreamed about getting his hands on his carbine action, 200 shot range model Red Ryder air rifle!  He has planned all the adventures he's going to have with that little baby.  

Two weeks before Christmas a box appears.

The box is the PERFECT SIZE to fit his dream machine.

And he waits.

In anticipation.

He's not allowed to TOUCH the box so every day it sits there to be seen, but not touched.

Day after Day.

11 days.

10 days.

6 days.

2 days.

Hot chocolate.

Santa's Cookies.

Christmas Eve service at church.

Sleep.

MUST SLEEEEEP.

Sunlight.

CHRISTMAS!!!!

As he comes down the stairs, greeted by his parents, he goes DIRECTLY to that present!  Mom and dad knod in approval as the impending explosion of excitements tears into the box!

What does he see?

He sees a box.

Plain.

Gives it a little shake.

It has the weight of the best gift he's ever had!

And so, while his parents look on with excitement and joy, camera's ready, their sweet little guy opens the gift.  The lid goes up, they inch forward in anticipation, and the look on their son's face shifts from excitement to perplexment.

What the?

Baby Jesus?

Really?

That's what's in this beautiful box?

The one that I have been STARRING AT for two weeks?

I got BABY JESUS for CHRISTMAS?!!!!

Talk about overwhelming disappointment.

With that the little boy tossed the box aside to search for a more valuble present.

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We are ALL guilty of this.  We discard the truth and reason we celebrate Christmas.  I am not saying to not give Christmas presents, but at what moment did Christmas became a completely secular holiday?  

My biggest prayer, as of late, is to show my children that I go to church every Sunday not because I HAVE TO but because I NEED TO.  I go to church so that I can be renewed and refilled and encouraged, without all of the distractions of the world, including my family. 

I feel like during Christmas there is this LIE that is overshadowing TRUTH.  Yes, we celebrate Christmas.  Trying to show and encourage my children to look at it DIFFERENTLY then we celebrate it is REALLY HARD.  

How do you feel about Christmas?

How do you celebrate it with YOUR family?