Do you have any favorite Christmas ornaments? Why are they special to you? What sentimental value do they hold?
I get nostalgic each year when I unbox the handmade ornaments my mother hung on her tree. Each one reminds me of her craftiness and her creative abilities, most of which I did not inherit. With each passing year they seem to grow more meaningful. I also treasure those ornaments gifted to me by my students: a “Best Teacher” pencil, a broken unicorn representing the Tennessee Williams play I taught, a Santa with a hand painted note. I think my favorite ornament is the one my nephew (now forty-one years old) made for me in pre-school: a simple “I love you” heart with a piece of yarn for a hanger. The tiny pinecone he had glued to its top has long since fallen off, but I treasure the gift of a heart from his heart.
In The Christmas Devotional: Hope and Humor for the Holidays (published in 2023 by End Game Press) author Michelle Medlock Adams shares the story of when her family decided to have a “Crafty Christmas.” Some of the crafts weren’t perfect, but the gifts were especially meaningful.
“As it turned out, everyone’s creations were a bit ‘off.’ All of the gifts were made with a lot of heart. . . just not a lot of talent.”
Michelle continues, “I think back on that Christmas and smile, and I still treasure those gifts. We learned that our handmade gifts didn’t have to be perfect to make the recipient feel perfectly loved.”
As you think upon those favorite handmade ornaments you’re placing on your tree this year, they do make you feel loved, don’t they?
In Share the Joy, an adorable lift-the-flap book published in 2023 by Paraclete Press, author Valerie Ellis and illustrator Sergio de Giorgi help children to see the joy in making their own gifts:
“The gifts we buy are fun to see
And I give something made by me.”
Over the years I’ve tried my hand at making special ornaments for my piano students. Hoping to inspire them to cherish their musical gifts, I’ve sprinkled a little glitter on the music they have so diligently or not so diligently practiced. Receiving my own music-themed ornaments from a pastor, a choir director, a good friend, and a piano student have warmed my heart. Words from the beloved Christmas carols dance in my head as I have placed these ornaments on my tree. These words quickly lead me to a reflection of what happened that first Christmas night.
Also from The Christmas Devotional, author Andy Capp helps us to find “Meaning in the Majesty of the Season.” He draws our attention back to that first Christmas night and the baby in the manger. As he explains the significance of the Hanging of the Greens service, common in many churches, Andy focuses on the Biblical prophecies, the nativity scripture, the music, and the symbolism of the lights and the greenery.
“The service centers the focus on Christ. Before the hustle and bustle of the world overwhelms even the most dedicated Christian, the Hanging of the Greens sets a peaceful tone for the soul.”
Andy asks, “Is Christmas just a celebration, or do we carry the deeper meaning throughout life? When we understand the symbols, the beauty of Christmas becomes breathtaking.”
Let’s all remember to focus on the real reason for the season. Let’s look for that breathtaking beauty of Christmas.
In the midst of the food preparation, the gift buying, the gift wrapping, the scheduling, and the busyness of the season, let’s take time to breathe in the “meaning in the majesty.”
Luke reminds us in Chapter 2, verse 11:
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
As I type these words, I wax nostalgic again as I recall how my father read the second chapter of Luke to our family every year on Christmas Eve night. I hope your family will read Luke 2 together this year. Maybe you can also craft some handmade ornaments and gift them to someone special. I believe they will become a cherished memory.
God gave us the gift of His son. Let’s give Him the gift of our hearts.
“What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would give a lamb.
If I were a wise man, I would do my part.
But what can I give him? Give him my heart.”—Christina Rosetti and Gustav Holst
“I will honour Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year.”—Charles Dickens
“Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred . . . at Christmastime.”—Laura Ingalls Wilder
“Christmas! ‘Tis the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart.”—Washington Irving
Isaiah 9; Luke 2; John 3:16; Proverbs 15:8; Psalm 103:22; Matthew 22:37; Psalm 100:4
