The real meaning of Christmas can vary for people all over the globe. But for the majority of us, it means giving and sharing, as well as being happy and having fun with our loved ones. Definitely, it’s the happiest season of the year!
But then there are those who think that they can’t really sense the yuletide season. They don’t feel its essence and they still feel sad. They say they can’t understand the excitement and don’t know what it really is all about.
If only there’s a way we can make them understand this season more, and if there’s a way we can replace their loneliness with joy, we’d certainly do it. How we wish everybody can be truly happy this Christmas!
Perhaps we can interpret the real meaning of Christmas by looking back at where it all began.
A child was born in a manger, a child with a very special purpose for the world. During that time, there were no elaborate Christmas decorations, no joyful sounds, no lavish foods found in feasts and special occasions. There was nothing special about Him that would make us take a second look at Him the way we admire our favorite celebrities and famous personalities. He was born to a poor family and lived a simple but extraordinary life. There was so much to learn and admire from His life that could still leave us in so much awe. There’s so much to love about Him.
We weren’t there when He was born and we weren’t there to witness the way He died for us. But to all of us who believe in the story of that child in the manger, we know that His spirit lives within us. The meaning of His life and the purpose of His birth define what Christmas is really about.
Giving and sharing really do matter most in this season, as we remember how selfless that child in the manger became.
But giving and sharing can even provide a deeper meaning to Christmas. It is when we not only do it for our loved ones, but also for the people we don’t even know but who certainly need our help.
This Christmas season, my scholar-friends, their families and I will be organizing an outreach for ten kids with cancer.
Well, we have actually been doing this for years now, and we invite the same kids every year to monitor their progress. We’re sad to say we have lost many of them already. Because of this, they were replaced by other kids who are suffering from different types of cancer. But then we’re glad we also have survivors who inspire us to continue giving joy to sick children especially during Christmas. We also wish we can provide for more than ten kids, but this is all we can afford for now. What matters is we share our blessings and happiness to these children this Christmas.
With only a few days left before the event, we are busy with the preparations and with the buying of gifts based on their wish list. We can’t wait to see the kids, especially our survivors! Two or three of them will also soon graduate from chemotherapy sessions. They’re going to live their lives cancer-free soon!
As my friends and I celebrate that thought, our minds went back to that child in the manger. We know we’re actually doing it for Him.
He’s the birthday celebrator and it’s our gift for Him. We’re not rich people, but we know that as long as we have the eagerness and the will to spread love and kindness, nothing is truly impossible. There are many ways we can help others even if we ourselves don’t have enough.
Giving love, hope and happiness by helping others, and by being totally selfless- that’s the real meaning of Christmas to us. And all for the glory of the child born in the manger thousands of years ago.
