I love the warm smells of hot chocolate, spicy cider, freshly baked cookies. I love curling up under warm covers in the chill of the night. I love helping my mom set out the presents. I love waking up on Christmas morning to check my stocking with my brothers and sisters. I love the pretty decorated trees and learning about the traditions that other families have.
However, my very favorite part of Christmas came when the Christmas decoration boxes came out. I would excitedly look inside and help my mom find places for everything. There was the tree and the tinsel and the special table cloths and the lights. The Santa's and reindeer and elves. The bells and poinsettias and holly.
And then my mom, my siblings and I would start to find room for the nativity sets. There were ceramic ones, wood ones, marble ones. There were large ones and small ones, some that had many pieces and some that were Mary, Jesus, and Joseph all clinging to one another in love and adoration. There were ones that were carefully hand painted, some that didn't have faces that left the viewer to imagine the emotions of that night, and some that were fun and festive. I would lovingly set them out, placing all of the people and animals of the particular set around the tiny baby Jesus, who was always the highlight of the scene. When I would walk past these joyful scenes in my house, I would often take a moment to pause and take them in and feel something warm growing in me. I have always felt happy when looking at those scenes, even when I was little and didn't exactly understand what they meant.
As I've grown older, I've come to know my Savior Jesus Christ. I've felt His influence in my life and the comfort and support in my trials. I've seen His pure love working in others, and I've seen it changing me and helping me to BECOME who He knows that I can become.
This year I have thought about what I can give my Savior this Christmas. What does He want from me? What can I do to help Him? How can I follow His example better?
So I leave you with the same questions. What does Christ want from you? What can you do to help Him? How can you follow His example better?
Answer in the comments below!! :)
If you know of anyone who would benefit from a message about Christ, or if you yourself would, go to this link and send in some info :) Ask the missionaries, they can help you!!
