Every year after the Christmas decorations are up and the tree is glistening in all its glory, I play my favorite CD that was purchased at a Christmas pageant called “Child of the Promise” written and produced by Michael & Stormie Omartian. My husband also purchased an album because we were not yet married, and we each wanted our own copy.
Hearing Bible verses sung by Donna Summer, Steven Curtis Chapman,
Vince Gill, Amy Grant, and Michael W. Smith, to name a few, really gets me in
the mood for Christmas.
After my divorce from my children’s father, and the scattering of my
children to the far corners of the U.S; I was left feeling shattered and
broken. I had always loved this Holy holiday, but after this I could barely
deal with Christmas. When the last two
were gone, I stopped decorating altogether. It brought back too many precious, but
painful memories.
It wasn’t until I met my current husband 16 years ago that I finally
began to celebrate Christmas in baby steps.
My dear husband helped me to heal.
He stood by me, cared for me, and restored my faith in myself and in my God.
I remembered those long ago years when I filled up the empty spaces in my
heart with work and good deeds. I Decked the Halls to excess, and cooked up a
storm for friends and family. I started so many new traditions each year that I
could hardly keep up with them. So in looking for a topic for this blog, I
decided to forewarn you: beware of what you start. It has to be done
each year (others will demand it), and what you add makes your annual job get bigger and bigger.
My traditions started with the making and decorating of a Gingerbread
House. Of course, the children plastered the house and yard with so many
candies that the roof became top heavy, but that was part of its charm. After
Christmas, they looked forward to smashing the house and eating the candy-covered
pieces. I also rolled out gingerbread men for ornaments at the same time.
Then there was the making of doughnuts for our Christmas morning
breakfast. I prepared cake doughnuts and risen ones that were frosted and
sprinkled with coconut, slivered almonds and candy. I served these with slices
of orange for nutrition and home-made eggnog. We never worried about salmonella
back then. I guess we were either lucky or blessed.
I also baked various cookies and arranged platters for some of our
friends. One couple said it was the prettiest tray of cookies they had ever
seen. Of course, their praise gave me incentive to widen my list and bake some more.
I also loved to make mini poppy-seed cakes for gifts and family, and special
breads like stollen, and muffin sized cherry cheese cakes.
We lived in Kansas City and had incorporated local menus into our holiday
traditions. Barbecued brisket was a
favorite, along with the usual trimmings, cheesy potatoes, green beans cooked
with ham bits and onions, fresh whole cranberry relish, crab dip and a shrimp
cocktail that was made to be drunk in a cup. I cooked so much that in my “old
age” I cannot even bear to read a recipe let alone cook one.
Now I’m apt to buy some or most of our traditional meals unless my
husband decides to cook his favorite stuffing for a turkey. He does almost all
of our cooking, anyway. Whenever I risk a foray into the kitchen my nerves start to
frazzle and all the work I did in the past comes barreling back like a bad
dream rather than a cause for rejoicing.
But the most important parts of our family traditions have stayed with
me. After our Christmas Eve banquet, we’d gather together dressed in our robes
and towels and read from the Bible re-creating a live Nativity Scene.
I can
still see the number of new babies in our household that played the part of baby Jesus over the years. A child would progress from baby Jesus to angel, and then to Shepherd. The older ones played Joseph and Mary.
When I listen to “Child of the Promise” it brings those images back, in a good
way. There are times when I wish I could have my children all with me once again. I
loved the hours spent rocking in their grandfather’s old chair. Drying tears,
comforting sorrows, bandaging skinned knees and all the other motherly services
performed of which I never grew weary. Each task was special in my heart.
Imagine rocking the Christ Child?
I treasure the words to my favorite Carol “Mary did you know.”
Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know
That your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered
Will soon deliver you
Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will calm a storm with His hand?
Did you know
That your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little baby
You've kissed the face of God
Mary, did you know?
The blind will see
The deaf will hear
And the dead will live again
The lame will leap
The dumb will speak
The praises of the Lamb
Mary, did you know
That your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will one day rule the nations?
Did you know
That your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you're holding
Is the Great I Am
Oh Mary did you know?
That your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know
That your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered
Will soon deliver you
Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will calm a storm with His hand?
Did you know
That your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little baby
You've kissed the face of God
Mary, did you know?
The blind will see
The deaf will hear
And the dead will live again
The lame will leap
The dumb will speak
The praises of the Lamb
Mary, did you know
That your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will one day rule the nations?
Did you know
That your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you're holding
Is the Great I Am
Oh Mary did you know?
An old favorite by Kenny Rogers and Winona Judd
A more modern version with Pentatonix:
