Yes! That's my grown up Christmas List.
If you are Christians ... if you said that you are...
Please don't belittled Jesus this Christmas
If you are Christian, Jesus is more than Santa or Sinterclass
who are only there once a year
Jesus stays with you, walk with you all year long
every step of the way... every breath that you take
If you are Christian,
Merry Christmas means more that Happy Holliday
Stop all those talks about Christmas as adopting pagan festival
In our walks of life, those worldly culture mesh with religious ones
but despite the days, the season, the years...
Jesus was born, has been born and THAT birth...
gives new Life to whoever believe in Him
"May your days be Merry and Bright"
doesn't refer to those Holiday Christmas Lights!
It is that Light you carry with you inside
that shines your path...
on those dark days far away from all these glistening Christmas light
If you are Christian,
Jesus is more than all those abundance of gifts
you 'found' under the tree on Christmas morning
"I once was lost but now I'm found
Was blind but now I see...."
Seriously! With faith in Jesus,
you will find gifts every morning when you open your eyes
If you are Christians,
Buying... wrapping... sending... exchanging... lost and lots of gifts
do not necessarily mean 'giving' the way Jesus taught us.
Pay close attention that you are not simply succumb to consumerism come Christmas time
Be careful not to teach your children that Christmas is simply presents and lots and lots of Present.
A TV advert of a supermarket here in UK shows a mother frantic dash in days around Christmas
She shops and she shops some more... she cooks, she cleans, she worries...
She works almost like a race horse round the clock
But the Supermarket is always behind her
to MAKE SURE it is a great Christmas...
I know the center of MY Christmas is NOT the Christmas turkeys and ll its trimming
It's the going to Church with family and the family praying time made special by Christmas day
I know my parents MAKE SURE that it is a great Christmas
because we sat down together to read the bible and pray
because we stay awake to pray together
because they MAKE SURE we know prayer is more important
than those firecrackers, trumpets, singing
and cajoling outside during our praying time.
because they MAKE SURE Jesus is in the center of it all.
I want to thank my parents for this.
In my growing up days, we have those frantic days...
We have those shopping and shopping some more
We cook and bake like never before
Yes, I am glad in Indonesia (at least during my time),
Christmas doesn't mean we have to buy EVERYONE in the house a gift.
We never did and it is not a problem.
Because in the heart of it all, it's that family prayer time
That hour when we sat together, reading the holy Bible
remembering the gifts and the promises that were given to us
And as we bow our heads in prayers as family... as Christians
As people who receive the greatest gift known to man, Jesus Christ.
But....
Things are changing in my little hometown of Ambon
Santa is more attractive on Christmas
as Malls, shopping centers and hotels ran their Santa program
We still have all the Christmas gathering with carols, hymns and praise
.... church services and family services
but you can feel it in your bones that some where in the midst of all this
the true meaning are getting lost in between those glistening merry
Well, bible has warned us of these times...
So... Go ahead... It's OK... make your house festive
God wants you to be merry
Put up the tree and all the lights
wrapped those gifts and put it under the tree
Cook, bake, clean and be hectic like only this time of the year could
Visit Santa grotto or play merrily with him
but do tell story of Jesus... experience Jesus in your life and make him real
And Please...
It's Jesus birthday... invite HIM to your home and not that big fat ho-ho-ho-ing man in red
If you are Christian, remember the true meaning of Christmas
My parents make sure I remember this
I AM passing it on to my children
Because those days have come
when the world robbed you of your true Christmas
and replace it with season festivity
If you are Christian,
....write those cards
but please,....
Write "Merry Christmas" and not Happy Holiday or Season's Greetings
Because Jesus put the 'Christ' in Christmas
Merry Christmas!
