The Cracked Acorn: Christmas Time

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven,and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” – Luke 2

It’s that time of the year and I am never ready for it!

For months now it has been peeking out of the corners of all the major discount stores.

Yes, it is “chestnuts roasting on an open fire” and “Jack Frost nipping at your nose” time of the year.

“I have shot an arrow into the Christmas season and I know not where it will fall!” Many seasons have come and gone since I was young enough to remember when it was time to find the small cedar tree in a fence row for the house, to decorate and admire for its beauty. Decorations were homemade for all even the star on the top was cut from heavy cardboard and covered in foil.

Feelings!

We all have them,and what would it be like if we were numb to everything? It seemed that every time we were reorganized in the federal government to better do our work there would be a new supervisor to try and give us that warm and fuzzy feeling about our work. This is good!, if not over done. The proper feeling about many of our activities and that does include the church work can accomplish amazing results.

Every year I wait for the melancholy and that warm fuzzy feeling that once again 365 days have just about disappeared into memories. My loved one and I were conversing about the holidays and the subject peanut butter popped up. I replied that I could not recall any such item during my childhood and that we were too poor to afford a jar of peanut butter. I could not remember when I first had peanut butter spread on anything to eat.

It is a wonderful season and I still enjoy seeing other people do their shopping and dragging the children with them. A very, very Kentucky Christmas Eve saw us shopping for groceries at the A & P or maybe we would drive the 50 miles to the Harvey’s Department store at Nashville, Tennessee. It was a treat to shop for gifts, have a meal and drive through an outdoor display at one of the large parks. Of course, the weather was very cold. I was probably already wearing my long johns with the trap door; houses were heated with wood stoves to ward off the cold from the single pane windows. If the prayer for the Christmas dinner was for our blessings; I asked for an early spring.