The Christmas Letter

Does anybody really read Christmas cards? I'm not talking about a quick glance to see from whom the greeting originated. I mean read it, enjoy the words, etc. How exciting can the pre-written word by some card writer really be? Of course, "Season's Greetings" cards are even worse. If you are like me, Christmas cards aren't the priority when opening the mail. I usually go for the Craftsman® tool sale circular followed closely by the Bass Pro Shops® flyer. On the other hand, Christmas cards do remind us that somebody out there sees some redeeming quality in us, or at least our family. With that in mind, I will eventually look them over and even read a few.

What really catches my attention is the "Christmas letter" - you know - the once-a-year missive rattling off the events of the previous twelve months. I have yet to read a letter that starts out, "Well, this was an average year - the kids passed with a "C" average and nobody did anything worthy of mention. Merry Christmas!" However, I have read the long letter that started out, "On January 3 we.... On January 10 we...." And then proceeded to recap all 52 weeks. That was a fun read.

I figure we all have a need to feel special once in awhile. I don't think there is anything bad about sharing the good news of the family. That is why I like reading the Christmas story. That story shows me just how special I am. And why is that? Because God sent His only Son for the whole world - and that includes you and me. When the One who created the universe gives you the gift of His only Son, well, it don't get any more special than that!