Advent 2017: What Christmas is Really All About

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Why wait 364 days to celebrate one day of remembering how blessed we are, when we should do it everyday? We really don’t need lights and we don’t need snow to have Christmas. We don’t need gifts, either. Let the love in your heart be the gift you bring to work, to school, and to church. Not just at Christmas, but anytime.

One song that gives the big message is “Christmas Everyday” by Unspoken. This is one of my favorite songs to listen to if I need to remember that Christmas is not just about the toys and the gifts.

Sometimes I think it is hard to grasp that a baby boy was what we were all waiting for. Imagine all of your ancestors telling each other about a Savior, and you wait all that time and then you get a baby. Would you have hope and joy or would you be mad at God for sending a baby to save you?

The shepherds dropped everything when the Angel of the Lord said, “Fear not: for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: You will find the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:10-12) Then there was singing and the shepherds went on their way, for they trusted the Lord.

So would you be disappointed to find a baby as your Savior, or have hope? Give up, or trust God? Maybe this Christmas, get together with your family and friends and go sing carols at a homeless shelter or a nursing home or even an orphanage. Bring some holiday cheer to them by spreading the true meaning of Christmas.

Esther Foster is a student at McNair Middle School. She loves theater and all of her teachers. She also likes sewing, reading, soccer and basketball. In 2014, near Christmas, her Great Grandma B died. Esther has a cat, a dog, two brothers, and some chickens.​