My father’s mother used to always say, “Christmas is for the children.”

Now that I’m an adult, I have a better understanding of what she meant by that. It brought great pleasure for her to see her grandchildren — my sisters, cousins and me — filled with the excitement of spending time together, opening gifts and eating all the delicious food she had prepared.

Children have a knack for spilling over with the joy. That same joy is within each of us — the joy that was given to all when Christ was born.

My grandmother was never one to spend money on herself, but instead chose to shower others — especially her grandchildren — with gifts. She meant it when she said she didn’t want anyone to give her presents. The best gift we could give my grandmother was our “presence.” I know because she told me so on numerous occasions. It was obvious the way she would sit in a room full of people and soak up the laughter and conversations as if it were food for her soul. In some ways, it probably was.

When it came to children, the smaller the child — especially babies — the more attention they received from my grandmother. She absolutely loved children. When you think about it, what’s not to love?

Children are living reminders of hope, joy, innocence and enthusiasm about life. Children live in the moment. They possess the treasure of being exactly who they are and can light up a room simply by their presence alone.

I can only imagine the sense of peace and joy that was felt by so many when Christ was born more than 2,000 years ago. What better child to help us tap into our inner joy than that of the Christ child. God could have easily sent his only Son to us as a full-grown adult. Instead, He was born to all of humanity as a baby — a sign of purity, unconditional love, hope for the future, joy and peace.

The pressures and stress of everyday life can weigh us down. I often catch myself feeling overwhelmed with responsibilities — many self-imposed. Thankfully, because of the Christmas gift of Christ in the flesh, I can free myself from limitations holding me back from being all God created me to be.

Sadly, many people in our world find themselves lacking joy. Somehow they have lost their way from the joy Christ came to bring each of us. They have drifted away from the belief that we can all share a place in our eternal home in Heaven with Him.

Christmas is a time when people extend generosity to those around them. It’s something I look forward to year after year — the sharing of gifts, extra time spent with friends and family, sending and receiving Christmas greetings, and the special traditions we treasure now or in our memories.

With all of the time, money and energy that goes into the various ways we celebrate Christmas, might I suggest also investing our hearts in the greatest story ever told: a child born on Christmas Day to be our light and salvation. “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a saviour which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke: 2:11)

There is so much in today’s world that can rob us of our joy — sickness, broken relationships, stress, grief, debt or loneliness. Even in the midst of hardship, pain and suffering, God’s gift of joy to us through His only Son can bring hope to our lives regardless of our circumstances.

I almost let something as simple as a stalled train steal my Christmas joy on Dec. 16. My husband, Allen, and I were traveling to New Roads to see my sister, Lisa, and her husband, Reid, in a Christmas play, “Happy Hollandaise.” We allowed about a 30-minute cushion for any possible traffic delays, but I never factored in having to wait 50 minutes at a railroad crossing.

Instead of arriving at our destination ahead of schedule, we frustratingly drove up to the Julien Poydras Auditorium at 7:15 p.m. Show time was at 7 p.m. Needless to say, my patience had run out 10 minutes into our sitting at the railroad tracks. Thankfully, we ended up only missing the first five minutes of the play since The Centre for the Arts’ choirs performed several Christmas songs to start things off.

Once seated in the theater, I was able to enjoy the production — debut performances for both Lisa and Reid. They keep me laughing even when they aren’t “acting” in a comedy.

When Lisa learned of how the train delayed our arrival, she put things into perspective for me.

She said, “Kind of reminds me of the real Christmas story, when nothing went as planned for the Holy Family — having to travel from their home to Bethlehem for the census, and then not even knowing where they would sleep, much less give birth! God does keep us waiting in lots of little ways each day. I guess it’s what we do while we are waiting that transcends that moment of stress and worry.”

The important thing was that Allen and I made it to New Roads and back home safely and were reminded in several ways that evening that Jesus truly is the gift that keeps on giving every second of our lives. No batteries, gift receipts or assembly required. Today is a day to celebrate His life and yours. God has given us everything we need — if we just believe.

After all, Christmas is for the child in each of us.

Life Editor Pamela Seal is a frequent contributor to Sunday Talk. Email her at pseal@americanpress.com.

(FROM MGNONLINE)