My Christmas Story

     "Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse."...  Most every one knows that beginning of a Christmas story. This is actually a long favorite poem about the activity around Santa Clause's entry into any world-wide homes on Christmas Eve.  "God bless us, every one."... is the ending of AChristmas Carol, the Dicken's classic about a miser named Scrooge who sees the ghosts of Christmas Spirits  who truly wakes up to become a very benevolent man.
   
    Every story has to have a beginning, a middle and an ending. The pop culture classic that has the best middle of the story relating to Chrstmas is a Charlie Brown Christmas.  In 1965 Charles Schultz was commissioned to write a story using his beloved Peanuts charcters as the story tellers.  He said he would do it on one condition, that he would be allowed to incorporate Scripture into the telling of his story.  That's why I call this the best middle of the story, because in the midst of the typical mis-adventure of Charlie Brown and his sad, good for nothing tree, Schultz brilliantly incorporates Linus' rendetion of what  debateabateably is the Greatest Story Ever Told, the birth of Jesus Christ.

     There are thousands of Christmas songs that were made popular by the likes of Bing Crosby, Perry Como and Andy Williams.  There are hundreds of Christmas movies that range from White Christmas to Christmas Vacation and one of those happens to be named Christmas Story.  But the greastest story ever told, Chrstmas or otherwise, was told by Matthew,  Mark,  Luke and John.  This is the true Christmas story.  The story about the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.  This story is so great that they named a whole holiday after Him, Christmas.

     This story has a great beginning that dates back 2010 years and begins with the miracle of a young virgin becoming pregnant.  The birth was heralded by angels, the heavenly host.  The birth was in a lowly manger in a nothing little town of Bethlehem.  The birth of a baby who was born a King, the Savior of the world.  The middle of this story is that of a teacher, a miracle worker and the greatest example of what we are all to live like.  The end of this story is nothing less of a miracle.  Some one may have asked Jesus how much He loved us.  His response was the stretching out of both of his arms and He died for us.

     As we go through this Christmas season we can all thoroughly enjoy Christmas carols and tales of the stories from Christmases long long ago.  But the one thing that we really all need to remember is the Jesus is the reason for the season.  To have a truly good ending to your storied life you need to get to know this Jesus.  Not just know about Him, but truly know Him as your own personal Savior.  God Bless you and have a very Merry Christmas!