what I learned about Christmas

I know people always say that Christmas is more than presents and lights and decorations and shopping. I always knew it. I just never understood it until this year.

A couple weeks ago, I went to church in a small chapel in southern Tennessee. A single Christmas wreath hung crookedly on the back wall. The chapel itself was simple and no other decorations were to be seen. The pews weren't full and some of the people there looked tired and haggled. Two ladies stood up to sing and rustled some papers awkwardly and adjusted the microphone. A younger woman played two notes on the piano to start.
They opened their mouths to sing and started harmonizing each verse of "Angels We Have Heard on High." Some of the notes were off key and the tempo wasn't perfect. But as they sang the words, I felt such a still peaceful reassurance that this is what Christmas is. Shaky voices singing praises to God. I felt the Christmas spirit in that small room and I think there might have been angels there too.

***

Just the other day my family and I went Christmas caroling to our neighbors. My mom had been busy with baking (who's mom isn't at this time of year?) and we had made plenty of goodies to share. As we walked across the street toward one house, we saw the mailman. He pulled up right next to us and handed us our mail cheerfully. "Merry Christmas!" We told him. He then drove away and turned a corner, out of sight.

"Mom, don't you think we should give some treats to him too?" I asked as I watched his gray mail car sputter up the road. 

My mom heartedly agreed, ran back up to our house and wrapped up some of our fresh-out-of-the-oven oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Tied with a bright green ribbon, of course.

We all waited in anticipation as the mailman came back up the road. My brother Ben handed him the cookies.

"We wanted you to have these treats, we thought you'd might like some goodies. These just came out of the oven not even 15 minutes ago!" My mom said, smiling at the mailman.

He looked at us in disbelief. "Hallelujah!" He shouted. He thanked us vigorously and then started to stammer, his eyes glazing over. "I'm just so... so... so... just yeah thanks so much!" As he drove away I saw a huge smile on his tired face.

What joy this brought to me!

A simple gift of cookies and teary eyes made me think about the Savior born in a stall long ago. How grateful I am to my Heavenly Father that He would give His Son to us. As the mailman said, "Hallelujah!"

***