Without question, this is my favorite time of year – the Christmas season. I become a child all over again as I look at the lights and decorations, hear the carols, see the commercials and just the mere excitement in the air. It’s a magical time, it’s a special time, and most of all it’s a holy time.
I say that it is a magical time because as a child, I looked forward to receiving gifts on this very special day. We received a catalogue from department stores via the mail during the summer. For the next several months we’d go through each page, marking the several toys, games and other fun stuff we hoped to receive. It never came to our mind that our parents had to go to work every day and earn money to purchase those goodies. It never occurred to us that there really wasn’t a jolly ole fat man with a red suit and a band of little men making all of those toys to deliver magically to us on December 24th. Perhaps we did not receive everything we wanted, but just knowing we were going to wake up Christmas day and have some new toys made the wait worth it all.
As I matured and was blessed to have a family of my own, Christmas became a special time. It was special because God blessed me to be a blessing to the people that I love. How well I remember going to the mall and shopping for my wife, daughters, parents and friends for that special gift. It couldn’t just be anything. No, each gift had to have that personal touch. Only then would my true love and appreciation be realized. I can remember going to great lengths and expense to make my wife, family and friends feel special. Once I hid gifts around the house; once I hid a gift for more than a month before revealing it on Christmas day! Again, I wanted to go the extra mile to let those who had been a blessing in my life know that they were special.
Today I look upon Christmas as not only magical and special, but also holy. John told us that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son: that whosever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). I simply marvel at the fact that God was so creative, loving and wise that despite Adam and the woman falling to sin in the Garden of Eden, He devised a plan of salvation that would include the birth of His Son to a virgin. This event was so amazing, that more than two thousand years later, people still celebrate it. I marvel that other religions celebrate foundational events that are essential to their beliefs, but their dates just so happen to occur around Christmas. Some of them have even given into the tradition of exchanging gifts. For me this time is holy because God knew there wasn’t any way I could get to Him, so He made a way to come to me. As I see the lights and decorations, I think about the star that led the wise men to Jesus. When I see the gifts passed around from under the tree, I thank God for the gift He gave to me.
As I celebrate this Christmas – I still see it as a magical time. No, I don’t envision a fat man in a red suit instructing elves to make gifts that most parents can’t afford. But I do see a God, directing angels to watch over me, and His Son paying a debt for my sin that I could never repay. Christmas this year will be a special time because I endeavor to not only share gifts with my loved ones, but I will also share the love of Jesus Christ. This will be my first Christmas without my mother. While I still miss her terribly, and although I will not have the pleasure of picking out a gift for her, I will remember the many Christmases she made special for me. I am blessed that her spirit and memories live on in me and that will make this year special. Most of all, this year will again be holy because God continues to bless me beyond measure, and I just enjoy blessing Him at all times.
On behalf of myself and Lady Pruitte, the Pruitte Family and Holiness Tabernacle Church Of God In Christ – Merry Christmas! May this be a magical, special and holy time as we celebrate the birth of our Savior!
I bless you in the name of the Lord!
Eddie B Pruitte, Jr.
Pastor & Founder