HOW TO END 2021 STRONG: "What Christmas Means To Me"

WHAT CHRISTMAS MEANS TO ME

Over the weekend, celebrating Christmas with the Christmas parties celebrations, exchanging of gifts, reaching out by visiting family and friends, buying and receiving gifts, preparing and eating a lot of delicious foods and delicacies, sending greetings to everyone we know, conducting our own family reunions, going to church services, listening to Bible stories of Jesus birth, and so much more gives a greater emphasis of what Christmas means.

Yesterday was December 25, and as the traditional celebration worldwide has it, I kept on asking myself this question. I have been celebrating Christmas for forty –six years of my life but this lingers on my mind and could not ascertain what it is. It is as if everything is just passing so fast and another year has gone. What is in Christmas that makes my life more meaningful? Have I truly lived a meaningful life? Am I sure of myself for the next year 2022 venture that I am going to make? How am I going to make my plan for next year worth taking the risks?

Listening to the sermon today, reckon the birth of Jesus being visited by three Magi or the three wise men bringing with them the Gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. There was something that I learned today that is quite different from the rest of the sermons that I listened to. It strikes me a lot knowing the essence of what Christmas means to me.

? During the time of Jesus' birth, it was King Herod of the Roman empire who ruled the world with an iron fist creating a name for himself as the only “King Herod the Great”. Calling himself as Great was a euphemism for the birth of Jesus in its simplest way. There was nothing that complicates Jesus' birth. It happened as it is due to happen moved by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Nothing was so much inviting regarding his birth except for the star that is guiding the magi to find Jesus. The resolute effort of the three wise men to search for the King of the Jews that is born was deeply striking to King Herod. These wise men as learned of the worldly standard, never stopped to find that King of the Jews is born. They risk their lives asking King Herod the Great where is the King of the Jews. King Herod hold fast to his authoritarian and dictator leadership that the only way to get rid of anyone trying to get his throne is to kill the eldest boys born during that time. That is how ruthless his ways are. How dark his life was. He has the power, the wealth, the fame, the glory but yet nothing of these things completely satisfies him. He wants more and more. His greed for political power, money, fame, and glory was his absolute greatest defeat. The three wise men, full of wisdom, upon finding Jesus with great awe and excitement give the gifts to Jesus as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The gift of gold is a gift fit for a King, as belonging t royalty lineage; not an ordinary kind of gift for a very special valuable person. The gift of frankincense is used as an incense for worship in the temple. The gift of myrrh is used for anointing an ointment in someone else dies. The three wise men give their precious valuable gifts, traveled along the curvy dusty roads in days, weeks, months, or maybe even years just to find Jesus and when they find Jesus they gave all of it and worship him.

The simplest things in life are the very things that we need not ignore. They are the very gifts that are very much valuable to us. Finding my purpose to continue living is what matters most. As I have learned to live the present, I am very much grateful that God gave me this life. Today, I am not wandering and questioning myself that I am the only woman left in the family and the reason why my mother, my father, my eldest, and elder sisters died ahead of me. My purpose for living is a whole lot unique from among the rest. I have endured many tough trials and I have to live up to my purpose for living. If you look within you and what you have and what you got, are there important valuable treasures that you can be grateful for? True happiness is not found in money, fame, wealth, and power, it is in finding yourself of the many wonderful gifts that you cannot ignore. If you have God, if you have Jesus, in your heart, “LOVE HAS A NAME AND HIS NAME IS JESUS”, it works wonders and miracles.

1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. Fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love”.

"May you find complete satisfaction and meaning this Christmas season NOTHING MISSING, NOTHING LACKING AND NOTHING BROKEN!"

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Merry Christmas to all and a Prosperous New You!