Este shared with us that one of his friends recently told him how our family seems so perfect (his friend apparently hasn't spent enough time with us to know better). He told Este that it was obvious that our family had been touched by Jesus. Este's friend may not be aware of how true that statement really is. Not that we are the perfect family or live the perfect life, but the only perfect person to walk the earth, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, has shown us mercy and touched our hearts. We really have been touched by Jesus.
Christmas Eve is the day that we celebrate the birth of our Savior. It is the day when we are more focused on what matters most. Christmas Day is our fun-filled-present-opening-fa-la-la-la-la celebration. But for our family, Christmas Eve is deep and spiritual. As our children have grown we have tried various ways to accomplish this task. We have spent time with extended family and friends. We have donned costumes and reenacted the Nativity in our barn in Utah. This year there were no wise men costumes. We declined thoughtful invitations to be with other families. There was no pomp and circumstance. We simply gathered around and shared with each other the many ways our family truly has been touched by Jesus.
The Christmas season was a little crazy this year: a late Thanksgiving, the four day ice storm, a weekend trip to Florida, no Christmas cards, etc. I tried really hard not to get stressed. There were moments the struggle was real but for the most part, I stayed true to my commitment. By the morning of the 24th I was ready. The shopping was done, except for one last minute trip to the mall. Aaron planned and prepared our dinner, and most of the presents were wrapped (That's highly unusual for us.)
He even "encouraged" the kids to help in the food preparation. It is amazing what a little holiday motivation will provide. That, and the threat of not eating dinner.
After dinner we gathered around the living room and read the Christmas story from the Bible. Then I read part of a talk by Neil A. Maxwell about how our lives our still part of the Christmas story and how each of us need to make the journey to Christ just as the wise men did. We also watched several Mormon Messages on You Tube.
The kids were calm. The fire was bright. The Spirit was felt. We each shared what we were thankful for. We opened a gift of new pajamas. We laughed together. In fact, every time I started to feel sad and tears welled up, my kids made me laugh. We laughed a lot. I had so much fun with them. This night touched my heart and is probably my favorite Christmas ever. It was a night I will never forget.
I don't know what the future holds for our family. I do know there will be good days and bad days to come. I hope that as we did this day, that every day we will remember the many ways our family has been touched by Jesus. As Jeffrey R Holland said: "After an encounter with the living Son of the living God, nothing is ever again to be as it was before." (click here for full text)
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