Christmas Reflections

Merry Christmas!

This morning, I awoke early even though there would be no Christmas gift exchange for our family. I was thinking of my estranged husband and remembering our last Christmas together as a family.

After 14 years of marriage, I had learned that my husband has a tendency to return and exchange my gifts. As I wanted to buy him a special ladder for Christmas that would be difficult to return and impossible to exchange for a different toy...I mean tool, I needed to make sure he would like a new ladder. So I asked if he wanted one. I just did not give him all the details. I still wanted him to be surprised.

At the same time I asked if he would like a new ladder, I approached the subject of Christmas gifts for the year. I said that I thought spending $100 per person (the price of the ladder) would be a good amount and that I would take care of gifts for the children. I literally said, "All you have to worry about is a gift for me." My honey verbally agreed. When I asked if he needed any money from the household budget so he could afford the purchase, he declined.

On Christmas morning, the children opened their gifts and were very happy with them. (I am a good present-giver because I pay attention throughout the year to what people mention they might someday like to have.) My beloved spouse opened his gift, too. He absolutely loved it! You should have seen him play with it. It may have been his best Christmas gift ever.

Then it was my turn. My darling handed me an envelope. I opened it, wondering what might be inside that cost $100. Was it... maybe... could it be... a gift certificate to a day spa? A ladies' clothing store gift certificate? A night on the town with him? What could it be???

In the envelope was a greeting card. It was signed, "I love you." That was my $100 Christmas gift. I was crushed.

The next day, I went to Walmart and purchased the set of pots and pans I had mentioned several times over the past month. It cost $100. When my husband saw it, he looked ashamed but he did not say anything.

Eleven months later, I discovered the reason my husband had broken our Christmas-present agreement when I found her with him in the back seat of our family car. My husband did not want to betray his adulterous relationship with another man's wife (which he claims was not adultery in his mind) by buying a Christmas gift for the woman he had actually married.

The sad thing is that Christmas is not about the gifts. It is about the birth of Christ and, therefore, the option given to each man, woman and child for salvation. But each person has to open his/her heart to the Lord and follow Him to be saved and set free. A man who betrays the love of his wife, his one-flesh partner in the sight of God, for the lust of another man's wife also betrays the love of our Savior. And the loving gift of salvation from our Savior is what Christmas is all about.

Sorry to be such a downer today. Please enjoy your holiday and remember that acceptance of the true Christmas-gift is necessary to receive it, and receipt comes with the condition of following Jesus. May God bless you and yours on this, the celebration of His birth.