The car ride seemed endless as it did every year. The trees passed by in slow motion and the whine of the tires droned on and on. Timmy, 8 years old and Tommy, 10 years old, were headed to their Grandparents for Christmas. Once they got there it would be great with a farm to enjoy and Grandma’s cooking; if the ride didn’t kill them first from boredom. See, a few years ago there were not video games, backseat DVD players or text messaging phones. It was just a ride of beautiful scenery and Dad’s attempt to sing Christmas carols. Take it Russ!

Both boys always shared a small bedroom with a set of bunk beds that were located next to their Grandparent’s bedroom. The evening meal was filled with biscuits, gravy and pot roast with all the trimmings and the boys were full and ready to go to bed with only one more night before Christmas Day, the day when Santa would come. Tommy always got the top bunk since he was the oldest. As Tommy was crawling up the ladder to bed, Timmy dropped to his knees to say his prayers. This close to Christmas he certainly didn’t want to take a chance of missing this opportunity.

With hands clasped and eyes tightly shut, Timmy began his prayer shouting out each and every word. After thanking the Lord for his family and the good food, he shouted "And Lord, please if you see Santa remind him that I really want that red Schwinn bike. You know the one with 20 inch wheels and tassels hanging from the handlebars. Amen".

Tommy just laid there and thought to himself, "Why is he shouting?"

The next afternoon found the boys all dressed up and on the way to the Christmas Eve Service at the local church. The evening was beautifully filled with songs and scripture and then the pastor invited the congregation to the altar to pray. Without hesitation, Timmy went down the aisle and to the altar to his knees. Once again he was shouting and the prayer was almost word for word the same prayer that he prayed in the bedroom the night before. Some folks laughed and a few kids giggled out loud, but no one spoke to Timmy directly about his passionate prayer.

Ready for bed, Tommy climbed the bunk bed ladder and Timmy hit his knees again.

"Dear Lord," he shouted.

"Hey," Tommy yelled down from the upper bunk, "What the heck are you doing? God ain’t deaf and I don’t think that Santa is either".

"Yeah, I know ", replied Timmy, "But, Grandpa is!"

Christmas, at least that year, to Timmy was all about gifts or should I say a gift. Much of the maddening pace of Christmas can be attributed to gifts. The malls are filled with anxious shoppers looking for the just the right gift. Husbands wander the stores with "deer in the head lights" expressions either trying to remember exactly what it was that their wives hinted for or even worse, trying to come up with the "perfect" gift on their own.

Year after year, the family finally settles down to give out the gifts and agrees that they will be opened one at a time, so that everyone can see the gift. After about ten minutes it is a snow storm of flying gift wrapping paper and Grandpa yelling "Save the bows, we can use them next year".

So, yes Timmy Christmas is all about gifts. Someone asked me this week, "What was your favorite Christmas gift as a kid?" I got many great gifts as a kid but two stepped forward in my mind. The first was a Daisy Red Rider BB gun. And no, I did not shoot my eye out, but I did accidently mess up the neighbor’s cat! The second was a red Schwinn bike with tassels hanging from the handlebars.

I guess I should say that Christmas is really not all about gifts, but the Gift. This really why we celebrate, sing carols, light candles and come together as a family. God gave humankind the greatest gift of love ever given, His Son Jesus Christ. So my prayer for you and your family this year is for grace, peace and an unusual assurance of God’s love in these unusual times.

Merry Christmas!!

Joey

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