Ahh.. This past weekend was Christmas. I absolutely love this holiday, although some years I love it more and some less. This year I loved it more. I was way behind schedule on all of the things that I think should be done, but really it doesn't matter if I don't get everything done.
One of the things I usually try to do is bake a lot of cookies and candies. I remember watching my Aunts WeeWoe and Alma bake cookies. I remember the year my aunt Alma died and going to visit Wee Woe who lived with Alma. It was a Sunday morning, and I went to her house between services while waiting for Katie and Julie to finish Sunday school. She always had church music playing on her radio and this day was no different. The only thing missing was Alma. I remember watching Wee Woe rolling out dough for cut out cookies, but the sadness in her eyes was heartbreaking. There were lots of tears in those cookies that year. Even though she was mourning, Christmas was still coming and she was going to be ready. I really believe that Christmas was sad for her a lot of her life. Her grandmother was buried on a Christmas Eve in 1930. I can't imagine what that must have been like.
Which brings me to thinking about visitors. It seems that Christmas has a lot of visitors, the Angel Gabriel visiting Mary and Joseph, Mary visiting Elizabeth, angels announcing the good news of Jesus birth to the shepherds, the visit of the Magi.
I think back to this weekend and all the visitors I had at my house. I loved having every one of them, and wish they could have stayed longer. But I also wonder what it must have been like for Mary.
Imagine being a young girl around Erin's age and having an angel tell you you're going to have the Savior of the world. I asked Erin what she would have said if that was her and she said something to the effect... "I don't think so"... but I guess that is why she nor really none of us were chosen. Anyway, Mary had great faith and was truly honored to be chosen. I really think God has a sense of humor though. Imagine being in a very crowded and noisy city finding no accommodations for the night, being so close to having a baby and having to ride out to the countryside to await your baby's birth. And then being visited by, of all people, SHEPHERDS!!! Really!!! But God is so good. Shepherds are just ordinary people like we are, and Jesus came to save ordinary people. I imagine Mary was pleased to have some visitors. She probably wanted to share her Son with everyone, and these men came to her to meet her child...and then again two years later being visited by the Magi.
What a wonderful gift we have been given in our Savior Jesus Christ!!!!
Merry Christmas to all of you ... thanks for visiting me.