Celebrating a birthday

A Thought for the Christmas Season

All through life we celebrate birthdays.
For those loved ones who are family or friends, we buy gifts, bake cakes, have parties with streamers and gaily decorated tables. We are showing them our love and our appreciation and we do this with a smile and with warmth and love in our hearts.
As Christians, this is exactly what we are doing for a man of long ago called Jesus of Nazareth, or as better known, Jesus Christ. Born to poor parents in a small village called Bethlehem.
As no one really knows his exact birthday, Christians from long ago and around the world have chosen December 25th as the day to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
We want to express our love and thank Him for being a part of our life. We do this by decorating trees, houses and yards.
We do this by signing, not Happy Birthday, but songs dear to our hearts we call Christmas Carols, specially written for His birthday.
We, as Christians, do not just celebrate this on one day.
We can not invite everyone in the world who loves this man to a party so we celebrate it for a month or longer allowing people all over the world to join in with us in displaying our love for Him.
We sing Christmas carols, door to door, in the market place, in small churches and large cathedrals.
Just as we celebrate the birth of our own children, we celebrate for Him.
We can not give Him physical gifts as we do to our children and loved ones so we give gifts to each other and to total strangers to show we love them as well and that we want them to join in with us in sharing our love.
We do not demand in any way that you come to our party or to love him as we do but we certainly invite you to just join in and feel the warmth and love given by those who do celebrate His birthday.
We all, I believe, believe in the same God and have our own individual ways of expressing that love and joy that He brings into our lives. We show this by celebrating the birthday of His Son.
Remember, as we began celebrating this Wondrous Season that you are invited to our party. Enjoy along with us our sights and sounds. Accept the warmth and love given to all as we celebrate the birth of Jesus of Nazareth.