I don't like saying that I hate Christmas, but I hate not having that excitement and build to Christmas morning that I used to have as a kid. I don't know why that exciting feeling has slowly left over the last few years. I try not to make Christmas about the presents and the whole commercial part of it, but instead I try to focus on the celebration of our Savior's birth.
I decided this morning that I love Christmas when it's on a Sunday. My home ward has 9 o'clock church and so I figured that the majority of the families with kids would be late, but we got there at about 8:50 and the whole chapel was already filled. After the sacrament I went up on the stand with the rest of the ward choir. I got to sit through the rest of sacrament meeting looking out at the people that I have grown up among. People that have literally seen me at my worst and my best. People that love me and people that I love with my whole heart. My heart was filled with sorrow as I looked out among that families that have suffered and struggled this past year, but my heart was also filled with an immense joy. We were all there as Latter-Day Saints, brothers and sisters in the gospel, to worship our Savior and Redeemer on this beautiful Christmas morning. I don't know why I wanted to cry the rest of the meeting (I did most of it anyway). My heart was filled with so many emotions. I love all of our Christmas hymns, but I think my new favorite for this year is Away in a Manger. The 3rd verse gets me every time: Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask thee to stay, close by me forever, and love me, I pray. Bless all the dear children in thy tender care, and fit us for heaven to live with thee there.
I pray to Heavenly Father that he blesses these dear people in my ward. My family is far from perfect, and I think I can venture to say that there are no perfect families in our ward, but we are all working for the same thing; to return to our Father in Heaven.
I watched the first 2 Narnia movies today and there is such beautiful symbolism in them. I love how Aslan represents our Savior. Aslan gave Lucy, Edmund, Susan, and Peter struggles and trials for them to learn and grow, just as the Savior gives us trials for us to learn and grow, so that we may become stronger. I pray that I may have the Christmas spirit all year long. I pray that I may be more Christ-like and have a little more charity.
I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas! I look forward to a new year of adventures, trials, and triumphs!
