Don’t Forget The Child

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. Isaiah 9:6-7

A few years back, early in the morning, I had a dream. I was babysitting an infant child. For some reason, I walked away from the baby and went around to the other side of the room from where the child was, and I guess I was just busy doing other things. When I came back to check on the baby, the child was missing; the baby was gone. I searched for the baby but couldn’t find it, and I had to explain to the parents that I had lost their child. I woke up, and it was Christmas morning.

The message was loud and clear. Had I become so busy and consumed with all of the madness of decorating and celebrating that it overshadowed and blurred the true reason to celebrate at all? Had I lost sight of the Christ child in all of the wrappings of the season? How will I explain that to our Father in Heaven?

Just recently, I was walking through one of these large box stores that we all shop in these days. The amount of Christmas paraphernalia that was on display for sale, all designed to celebrate Christmas, was enormous. It appeared to me that a very small percentage of it had anything to do with the fact that, “for to us a child is born, to us a son is given” (Isaiah 9:6).

It doesn’t take a lot of insight to realize that Christmas is a real money-making time of the year for the merchants. The season is stretched out as far as possible. But this is not in order to recognize and honor the Christ child but is primarily to make more money. It seems that all of this has a tendency to draw us into the more commercialized aspects of the season.

I believe my dream was a reminder that I am to stay focused on the enormous gift that was given to us that night in Bethlehem and not let it become anything less. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given” (Isaiah 9:6).

Have a wonderful and a truly blessed Christmas!

-Richard