Christmas Past

Tonight as we sat around the table for Christmas Eve dinner, the question was posed as to what was our most memorable Christmas (among other Christmas sharing anecdotes), and after a few people shared, they turned to me and asked me to share - perhaps one from when I lived in England they offered.

As it happened for the past week or so I have been ruminating on this very topic of what makes a Christmas memorable (obviously very subjective), and to the group I shared but one such Christmas, but on here I would like to expound somewhat...

I have had some rather memorable Christmas' through the years

Our last Christmas in England we celebrated by having 11 people stay with us!!! Before you scoff at such a number let me inform you that our house was between 800 and 900 square feet, and that all eleven of us (although now that I do the math I do believe it was 13) slept in the house. I don't remember that Christmas in detail, except to remember the warmth and love of being with family, being with a family that loved and cared for each other.

1995 found us celebrating our first Christmas in America. Christmas that year was full of church Christmas presentations, and Christmas Eve bore the advent of Christmas Eve services - of which I described in an earlier post. It was that year that the $10 gift began. At the time I thought it was just a fun event to participate in, and we each worked hard at using that $10 to purchase a gift for the name of the person we had drawn. It wasn't until I was older that it was revealed the reason for the $10 gift exchange. But then, as now, it was never about the gift itself - it was about the thought behind it, and more importantly the family that exchanged the gifts. It was the love and warmth that we shared and embraced as a family. I must say though that when Boxing Day arrived, it brought with it the arrival of my grandparents, whom we hadn't seen since our departure from England six months prior, and with them came suitcases packed to the nines with English goodies - everything from crackers to pickle, to biscuits and crisps, pickled onions and much more.

Then came the Christmas of which I shared about tonight. Ten years ago shortly after Thanksgiving my older brother was paralyzed from the chest down while stationed in San Diego undergoing Boot Camp for the Marines. My parents flew down to be with him, my mum stayed for a week, my dad two. We were fortunate to have a Veteran's Hospital in Palo Alto, much closer than San Diego and it was to here that David (my older brother) was transferred to. Christmas was fast upon us, and as was expected the majority of any extra time was devoted to being by David's side. In the run up to Christmas two families within our home church at the time began secretly delivering gifts to our doorsteps. The gifts corresponded to the "Twelve Days of Christmas" song, and Ronnie and I would wait with eager anticipation for what gift the day would bring. Furthermore, the same family took me with her to pick a Christmas Tree for our house and bring it home. Christmas morning David was given leave, and would be released from the hospital at 11am. Ronnie and my dad drove to PA to pick him up, and my mum stayed behind and wrapped presents - having no wrapping paper she used newspaper for some of the gifts. It was the only time that David was ever in his wheelchair at our house. We opened presents, we sat around the table as a family, with silly Christmas hats from the crackers on our heads, and together we gave thanks for the love that we shared as a family. It wasn't about the gifts, it wasn't about the tree, or the decorations -- although all sweet in their own way. No, once again it was about the love and warmth that we shared as a family, a love made sweeter by the common bond that we all shared -- a bond that because of Christmas we had, that through the birth of Jesus, and his subsequent death and resurrection we had life, and life in abundance.

One year we didn't even get our Christmas tree until Christmas Eve. We had waited to get our tree with our grandparents, because we wanted them to experience the "thrill" of choosing your own tree and cutting it down. Unfortunately that was the year of 'El Nino" and as such every day was filled with water drenched streets, and we opted to hope that the next day it would be dry. Alas our hope was mislaid, and finally on Christmas Eve mere hours (if that) before we had to leave for Christmas Eve services my mum and dad went to a local grocery store and picked up a Christmas Tree from a lot. We decorated the tree that evening following services. I don't remember what I got that year for Christmas, I don't remember what I got for anybody else, but I do remember sharing the time with my grandparents, sharing once again the love and warmth of family.

This year will be the first Christmas in 24 years that I haven't spent with my mum and dad. We are going to celebrate -- for us Christmas Day will in fact be December 29, and all eight of us will be together to rejoice in the birth of Jesus Christ, and to revel in the delight of being with family and embracing that love and warmth that has been so evident and presence in my life for Christmas' past.

While I won't be spending December 24 and December 25 with my mum and dad and brothers, I have and will spend them with family -- family that has no relation, no ties through marriage, but rather family of the heart. Tonight - Christmas Eve - I spent with my San Jose Family, and three other families. Together we stood and read Luke 2:1-19 (in fact I read it, and was very glad to have been asked to), and together we joined hands and thanked God for the gift of his son. We ate and drank and conversed all the while love and warmth emanated around the room.

Tomorrow I will join Marissa and Michael and their parents, and grandparents and I know once again that what will be present, admist the slue of opened gifts and the drying pine needles, a love and warmth that grabs hold of you and holds you -- for GOD is LOVE, and it is His very LOVE for us that motivated him to send his Son to earth, and not just in any way, but as a baby, a baby whose birth is celebrated (wittingly or not) every year in December.

Christmas CountDown: It's Here!!!
Christmas CountDown Jenkins Style: 3 days!!!