Yay! Its Christmas!

I have friends and acquaintances who in different ways say they hate Christmas!  I just can not fathom hating Christmas!!  They say its the consumerism, the greed, the lost meaning, the effect a broken family has on the day, the way its overdone and over-emphasized...all probably on a day that isn't even Jesus' birthday!  I hear and read all the arguments, but I can not be convinced that Christmas is horrible. Go ahead and hate the way its become a retail store's way of survival.  Hate the way we clamor like idiots to get the biggest and best present.  Hate divorce and what it does to a familiy.  But, for the love of pete, don't hate Christmas!!  As long as I can remember I've waited for the 24th and 25th of December in anticipation.  Its time we remember the birth of the Christ, whether he was born in December or August.  There is something just magical in thinking about that split second it takes a baby to cross from womb to open air and  how,  in that small fraction of timem, our Redeemer entered this world--fulfilling prophesies, changing lives, and setting into motion God's plan of freedom from Adam's curse.  Imagine how long some read the scriptures and the prophesies and waited...and died waiting.  Every generation had those seeking the Messiah, waiting for his birth, and for him to bring restoration.  And while I realize the comparison is lacking, I liken it to being a child and having to wait to unwrap gifts.  They are talked about, wrapped, and under the tree.  But the wait seems like an eternity.  Obviously, no Christmas gift on earth could compare to the gift God gave to mankind, but there's no harm in celebrating.  With most the birth of most babies comes a time of giving gifts, of celebrating, and of resting, and I believe we do all these things surrounding Christmas becuase of a birth so long ago. I am nearly convinced that anyone who says they hate Christmas just does not have the eyes to see what a wonderful time it is to rest and to celebrate.  I will continue on enjoying Christmas--the family gatherings, the gifts, the cards, the celebration--choosing to remember and rejoice!