Meditations: The Christmas Spirit

Three more days! I don't know about you, but our house is filled with bright decorations, Christmas carols and (as you can see from my last post) lots and lots of goodies! We got our Christmas CDs out shortly before Thanksgiving, and ever since then I've been thinking on and off about the concept of the "Christmas Spirit".



We all know that Christmas is supposed to be a time of giving, but something we read last spring in Knowing God by J. I. Packer gave me a new perspective on it all.

The Christmas spirit is the spirit of those who, like their Master, live their whole lives on the principle of making themselves poor - spending and being spent - to enrich their fellow humans, giving time, trouble, care and concern, to do good to others - and not just their own friends - in whatever way there seems need.

Our culture applauds giving elaborate gifts to people we like. There's nothing wrong with giving gifts, I'm excited about the things I am giving this year! But how different is Jesus' kind giving. He gave up everything, he actually became poor so that he could meet the needs of his enemies, those who could not give back. That's radically different from what we normally hear described as the Christmas spirit. It is something we can only begin to emulate when - in the words of the verse Packer uses to close his chapter - God "enlarges our hearts" (Ps 119:32).



Along the same lines, I heard a brief comment on the radio about putting Jesus on your list of people to get gifts for. We're talking about something different from tithes here, what the old testament calls a "freewill offering". It seems like such an obvious thing to do - it is His birthday, after all - yet it's something I'd never considered before.

So as we count down to Christmas, those are some of the things on my heart. I want to give like Jesus does. I am praying that the Lord will continue to enlarge my heart. And I would encourage you to put Jesus on your Christmas list. He is very easy to buy for!

Christmas Bakers

Big Stuff

Yes, big things are happening around here. And I don't just mean getting the Christmas tree up. I mean big things with little people.

"Who, me?"

Yes, you.

On Dec. 3 (let it be recorded for the history books) Stephen Christopher rolled over! No one, of course, was as surprised as himself. It hasn't happened since but I've got a feeling about this one. When he gets moving, life is going to be exciting!

Or perhaps I should say, more exciting.

Alaina wanted a picture with her baby. Speaking of which, I must say that her baby has a much better life since Stephen's arrival. Before, Baby was hugged, rocked and fed. Now she is hugged, rocked, fed, changed, burped and washed. She sits in the bouncy seat, bumbo seat, car seat and swing. She is covered up for her naps and wears a hat on cold days. Clearly our horizons have expanded. ;-)

Our other big stuff has to do with the girl. She's moved to a big bed! (Not a moment too soon.)

Naps and all have gone well (no problems getting out of bed) and she is quite happy with the change. Several times a day she will announce "big girl" so I think all of our talk about it has made an impression.

That's our big stuff!