My Own Personal Christmas Tradition

I have a Christmas tradition that somewhere along the line evolved to be my personal one. I think it's because no one else in our family enjoys black and white movies. Several years ago I bought the VHS version of the 1951 classic A Christmas Carol with Alastair Sim as Ebenezer Scrooge. A few years later I bought the DVD version that has both the black & white and colorized versions. It is still much better in black & white.

Here's a bit of trivia; The word "humbug" is misunderstood by many people, which is a pity since the word provides a key insight into Scrooge's hatred of Christmas. The word "humbug" describes deceitful efforts to fool people by pretending to a fake loftiness or false sincerity. So when Scrooge calls Christmas a humbug, he is claiming that people only pretend to charity and kindness in an scoundrel effort to delude him, each other, and themselves. In Scrooge's eyes, he is the one man honest enough to admit that no one really cares about anyone else, so for him, every wish for a Merry Christmas is one more deceitful effort to fool him and take advantage of him. This is a man who has turned to profit because he honestly believes everyone else will someday betray him or abandon him the moment he trusts them.


I think I enjoy the movie, and the book, because of the complete transformation of a person at this wonderful time of the year. On the day after Christmas, he is so different, that he is beside himself in trying to fool poor Bob Cratchit when Bob arrives a few minutes late for work. Poor Bob is so intimidated by E. S., that he can't even begin to figure out that he has been transformed. After "playing with Bob", and then giving him a raise, E.S. says "I don't deserve to be so happy. [starts laughing uncontrollably again] I can't help it. I-I can't help it!" On Christmas morning when he discovers he is still alive, and that it is Christmas morning, he nearly frightens his maid to death. He dances around his room singing a made up song "I don't know anything!/ I never did know anything!/ But now I know that I don't know/ All on a Christmas morning!" Then he proceeds to stand on his head while his maid throws her apron over her head and runs out of the room in complete panic. She is absolutely sure that E. S. has gone mad. When Bob questions his change, E. S. says "Bob, I haven't taken leave of my senses. I've come to them."


Last night I had a few hours to relax, and I spent part of that time watching A Christmas Carol again. I really enjoy that movie. I'm not sure I deserve to be this happy, but I am...

My Christmas Miracle

Another favorite Christmas story is told by Taylor Caldwell. She was in her 20s, recently divorced, had no job and was on her way job hunting on a spring, rainy day, with no umbrella. She sat down in the streetcar and there against the seat was a beautiful silk umbrella with a silver handle inlaid with an engraved name. The usual procedure would have been to turn the umbrella in to the conductor, but on an impulse, decided to find the owner herself. She found an address for the name in the phone book and took it to the owner. The lady was surprised to see it, it had been a birthday present and had been taken from her locker (she was a teacher) more than a year earlier. Her eyes teared up and she wanted to give Taylor a reward, but to accept money would have spoiled something. Taylor writes, "I think I gave her my address, but I don't remember."

Caldwell writes that the next 6 months were wretched. She could not find a permanent job. Her last job ended the day before Christmas, her 30 dollar rent was due and she had 15 dollars to her name. She purchased some very small gifts for her daughter, a small tree and a little food.  Taylor writes, "there would be no Christmas for me. I had just about reached the lowest point in my life. Unless a miracle happened, I would be homeless in January, foodless, jobless. I had prayer steadily for weeks, and there had been no answer. God and men had forgotten me. I felt old as death, and as lonely."

She looked in her mailbox, only bills in it and two white envelopes. She went upstairs to see that her daughter, Peggy, had proudly set the kitchen table and set out the 3 cans of food that would be dinner. "I felt brokenhearted. We would have only hamburgers for our Christmas dinner tomorrow, and gelatin." She writes, "For the first time in my life, I doubted the existence of God and His mercy, and the coldness in my heart was colder than ice." Then, the doorbell rang, a delivery man was at the door. His arms were full of parcels. I could only stare at the boxes. A huge doll, gloves, candy, a beautiful leather purse. Incredible! It was the teacher, the address simply "California," where she had moved.

Our "canned" dinner that night was the most delicious I had ever eaten. I could only pray, "thank you, Father." I forgot I had no money for the rent and only fifteen dollars in my purse and no job. After Peggy went to bed, I opened the 2 white envelopes. One contained a check for thirty dollars from a company I had worked for briefly in the summer. It was, said a note, my "Christmas bonus." My rent! The other envelope was an offer of a permanent position with the government-to begin two days after Christmas. It was the most joyous moment of my life.

The church bells began to ring. I hurriedly looked at my child, who was sleeping blissfully, and ran down to the street. Someone began to sing, "Oh come, all ye faithful!" I joined in and sang with the strangers all about me. I am not alone at all, I thought. I was never alone at all.

And that, of course, is the message of Christmas. We are never alone. Not when the night is darkest, the wind coldest, the world seemingly most indifferent. God is with us, Emmanuel.

Cosmic Christmas

Cosmic Christmas is a wonderful book by Max Lucado that you can read in a single sitting. It is Max's description of how Christ would come to be born from Mary. It portrays the struggle between good and evil and the attempt on Satan's part to prevent the Seed from ever arriving from Heaven. In one of the most descriptive passages, Max pits Satan against God, and the ultimate reason for Christ coming to earth is revealed.

"The two stood facing each other. God robed in light, each thread glowing. Satan canopied in evil, the very fabric of his robe seeming to crawl. The King walked over and reached for the book. He turned it toward Lucifer and commanded, "Come, Deceiver, read the name of the One who will call your bluff. Read the name of the One who will storm your gates."

Satan rose slowly off his haunches. Like a wary wolf, he walked a wide circle toward the desk until he stood before the volume and read the word: Immanuel.
   "Immanuel?" He muttered to himself. "God with us?" The hooded head turned squarely toward the face of the Father. "No. Not even you would do that. Not even you would go so far. The plan is bizarre! You don't know how dark I've made the Earth. It's putrid. It's evil. It'..."

   "It is mine," proclaimed the King. "And I will reclaim what is mine."
   "Why?" Satan asked. "Why would you do this?"
The Father's voice was deep and soft. "Because I love them."

God loves you, and cares about you, and wants to be Lord of your life. Christmas is a wonderful time to give ourselves to God, without reservation. All you need to do is to accept His gift of new life.

Trouble At the Inn

One of my all time favorite Christmas stories is Dina Donohue's Trouble At the Inn. Wally was nine years old and in the second grade, though he should have been in the fourth. Most people knew he had trouble keeping up. When it came time to pick children for the annual Christmas pageant, Wally fancied himself being a shepherd with a flute, but the plays director gave him the role of the Innkeeper. That role didn't have many lines and Wally's size would make his refusal of lodging o Joseph more forceful.

As usual, a large audience had gathered for the town's yearly extravaganza of creches, beards, crowns, halos and a whole stage of squeaky voices. No one was caught up in the magic of the night more than Wallace Purling. When Joseph appeared, slowly, tenderly guiding Mary to the door of the inn, Wally the Innkeeper was there, waiting.

   "What do you want?" demanded Wally, swinging the door open with a brusque gesture.
   "We seek lodging."
   "Seek it elsewhere.." Wally looked straight ahead but spoke vigorously. "The inn is filled."
   "Sir, we have asked everywhere in vain. We have traveled far and are very weary."
   "There is no room in this inn for you." Wally looked properly stern.
The conversation continued and Wally delivered his last line, "No! Be gone!" Joseph placed his arm around Mary and Mary laid her head upon her husband's shoulder and the two of them started to move away. Wally stood there in the doorway, watching the forlorn couple. His mouth was open, his brow creased with concern, his eye filling  unmistakable with tears.

And suddenly this Christmas pageant became different from all others.
   "Don't go, Joseph," Wally called out. "Bring Mary back." And Wallace Purling's face grew into a bright smile. "You can have my room."

Have a blessed Christmas season and take some time to read a few stories, they are gifts.