Christmas is coming,
The geese are getting fat,
Please put a penny
In the old man's hat.
If you haven't got a penny,
A ha'penny will do,
If you haven't got a ha'penny,
Then God bless you
The charitable words of the "Christmas is coming" poem were to associate the Christmas feast with geese which are eaten in traditional English Christmas feasts. The author of the lyrics is unknown but the popularity of this traditional rhyme is handed down from generation to generation in the form of a nursery rhyme. The meaning that is conveyed to a child is that the Christmas festival of celebration, is a time of plenty, but that in the festive period is where each should give to the less fortunate, according to the givers means... even if all they could give was their blessing (If you haven't got a penny...)
I saw this from one of my online friends. Please watch it.
I found the tears were falling when it had finished and I was reminded of how for most of us Christmas has become so materialistic and commercialised.
Do we really need all the “stuff” we spend up large on for one day?
For me the answer is “No” and I am reminded of the part in the story of Little Woman where some of the sisters give away what they were going to have for lunch to a family who had nothing.
Christmas day for us is celebrated with stockings being opened in the morning and going to Church after Breakfast. We come home to a hot roast lunch like they have in the Northern Hemisphere, even though it is summer here. Once all the dishes are done we gather around the tree and open the presents from each other and play games or with our gifts, read or fall asleep. Tea is a smorgasbord of nibbles to graze on as many are just too fill to eat.
This year, although we are a family of seven with Jennifer and Sarah married with their own children and Theresa engaged, (we are up to 13 with another on the way) lunch will only be Harry and I and our two youngest, Daniel and Katrina. I felt like, “Why bother?”
But then I knew it’s not about me it’s about Christ. We are celebrating His birth when He came as a baby to earth.
God loved us so much that He sent His Son Jesus at Christmas to then, about 33 years later, be crucified on a cross, the penalty for sinners. A man who was without sin did this for us, who are sinners, because God loves us that much that He wanted us to receive this gift of forgiveness so that we would believe and be allowed to go to heaven. There is no other way.
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins - 1 John 4:10
Who am I to not want to celebrate this beautiful gift? So not only will I be still doing a lot of what I do for Christmas, I am going to give some gifts to those around our community through different charities and overseas because we really do have plenty.
Join me in this special time and bless others. It makes you smile on the outside and the inside.
Luke 2:10-19
10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
All scripture is from New International Version 1984 (unless otherwise started)
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