What Is Christmas

A time of many lights to see, Of tinsel, garland and wreath's so fair. Of hundreds of bulbs upon a tree, With twinkling lights and angel hair. A festive time with thoughts of Santa Clause, Of jingle bells, and distant sounds of sleighs. From the daily rush we're in, we pause, Remembering once more our childhood days. The time for eggnog and a cozy fire, Have the Christmas story and often games. Of candy canes, children never seem to tire, While watching a Yule log's flickering flame. A time for the hanging of mistletoe, The singing of carols and children at play. A time of merriment and places to go. To many, these are this holiday. For early mall arrival and long lines, To retrieve that last gift before we rest. Parking lot disagreements, fights and fines, We're seeing free enterprise at its best. Of bells and kettles in the mall, With scent's of baked goods and pines. While searching for gifts for one and all, We encounter rudeness and sold out signs. Christmas can be like this, it's true, But lest we forget this time of year. Let's look at things from a different view, As the birthdate of the Christ child dear. In a twinkling stars five points I see, Two arms, two legs, a head. I see the cross in a Christmas tree, Where a Savior hung and bled. In the manger scene I'm taken back, To the place the Christ child lay. I view the gifts in Santa's sack, As those the wise men brought that day. In a simple wreath of vines I see, A crown of thorns that Jesus wore. Of a scourging he once took for me, And of man's sin that at Calvary he bore. Within each candle seen glowing bright, One thought comes to my mind. That in my world He's still my light, God's precious gift to all mankind. In a candy cane of white and red, I see His body without sin. The crimson, being where he bled, So that man might be born again. Then looking into a yule log set aflame, Unable to imagine the torment one will feel. If living life as though Jesus never came, Only to discover at death, that Hell is real.