My Christmas Message

Last Sunday I had the privilege of listening to every word of our Sacrament Meeting! The small price I had to pay was delivering one of the messages. ;) The given topic was John 3:16-17. I cried my eyes out up there in front of everyone, which I don't usually or like to do, but the gifts of Jesus are too real and tender this year - the tears just came. This is where my heart is this Christmas season:

This year each time I see a nativity scene or video, I can’t help but look at baby Jesus and think of my own baby Michael.  Can you imagine the feelings Mary must have felt knowing, at least in part, the greatness of her son and the grandness of his calling? I don’t know if she knew in those first days that His life would end on a cross or that he would bear more pain than anyone before or since in the Garden of Gethsemane.  But if she had known, I would imagine there must have been at least a few of those feelings every parents feels of wishing they could shield their child from pain. You stare at your sweet perfect baby and never want even so much as a broken finger! No blood, no accidents, no mean words.  But Mary’s baby would take on all if it: every pain, every sin, every heartache, and even death itself.  Mary may not have fully comprehended on that first Christmas day, but our Heavenly Father certainly did.  He knew He was sending His Only Begotten Son, to be “despised and rejected of men” as Isaiah put it. To be “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief…” to bear “our grief and carry our sorrows, to be wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities.”  He knew all that His Son would have to endure, and still, He sent Him.

And why? John explains it perfectly, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” Heavenly Father sent Jesus because He loves us, because He loves us so very much.

Mary’s baby was, and is, the gift our Heavenly Father has given to us.  Our Heavenly Father let His Son submit Himself to every single one of our pains so that He would have the power to heal us, to forgive us, to sanctify us, and to bring us back to our heavenly home someday. Jesus is the gift. Jesus is the answer.  Jesus is the way.  Jesus is the solution. Jesus is our hope.  Today I want to talk about a two poignant ways Jesus is a gift to me.

Last Christmas I was pregnant with Michael and a few of my friends were pregnant with their third babies as well.  In the spring, the day after one friend’s scheduled c-section I texted her to wish her well and asking for a picture of her sweet baby boy.  I was relaxing on the couch with my two boys when her text back to me that her baby was born 9lbs strong and cried right away, but only lived for 30 minutes.  I burst into tears as you can imagine!  His heart had several defects that did not appear on any ultrasound and were too complicated to repair.  Another friend Emily, whom some of you know, struggled for her own life this past spring, during which her baby was born via emergency c-section.  Baby Kate died a few days later while Emily rocked her in her arm in the middle of the NICU.  I was still pregnant during both of these, and oh I have cried for and with these two friends!!  Maxwell’s tombstone was finally placed last week and at the bottom it reads, “Until we meet again.”  These parents’ hearts have been broken with their loss, but they survive and gradually heal knowing that their little babies are in heaven and that one day their bodies will be healed and they will be reunited.  My husband’s two very best friends each have a son born with special needs: one was born deaf and another born with Cystic Fibrosis.  

The faith of these couples inspires us.  We watch the struggle and pain they feel for their kids who must face this life with less-than-ideal bodies.  But their faith in Jesus Christ sustains them.  They know their kids’ bodies will be HEALED and WHOLE someday.  Their bodies will be perfect and if they continue to live the gospel, they will be families forever.  THAT is a gift of the Savior: resurrection and the hope of eternal life as families.

Paul wrote, “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” I love that verse.  As sure and concrete as birth into this world, is the reality of a complete and eternal physical resurrection.  There will be an end to all pain, illness, deformities, disease, syndromes and disabilities.  Our physical bodies will be healed, whole and glorified.  THAT is a stunning and amazing gift to me and brings some of the greatest comfort I know.

Another gift Jesus has given to me is his teachings, which include the commandments.  I’m grateful for the teaching of marriage and fidelity, which brings me peace, and security and a deep love that can’t be experienced any other way.  I’m grateful for the teaching of service and love to our fellowman that has pushed me outside of myself and brought me great joy and some of the sweetest friendships.  I’m grateful for the teaching of prayer for all the peace, love and inspiration that teaching has brought to me.  There are many more ways that the teachings of our Savior have been a gift to me, but today I want elaborate a little more on the teaching of forgiveness.

The Lord teaches in Doctrine & Covenants, “Wherefore, I say unto you, that ye ought to forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin.  I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men. And ye ought to say in your hearts- let God judge between me and thee, and reward thee according to thy deeds.”  I remember reading this several years ago and understanding at deeper level than ever before that I didn’t need to remember the wrongs of others because our Heavenly Father has promised to remember everything and judge each person justly.  Sometimes I think I hold grudges because I want justice!  I want life to be fair! But that just not my job – it is not my burden to carry – it’s His. This teaching has helped me let so many things go. I can pray and let God take care of things and just worry about myself.  It’s a great gift.

But usually a grudge involves some kind of misdeed on my part too.  I remember reading President Eyring’s Christmas message in the December 2009 Ensign and his words struck me with great power.  He said, “as we gather in [our] heavenly home, we will be surrounded by those who have been forgiven of all sin and who have forgiven each other. “ I imagine a room of people where all of us love each other purely and fully. No grudges. No hurt. No past arguments remembered. Just pure love.  It reminds me of how I felt when Tyler and I entered the sealing room of the temple where we were about to be married. It was full of all the people we love best and I couldn’t help but just cry because I was so overcome by love. I'm sure you've felt moments like this before. They are so special and very heavenly.

President Eyring continues, “We can taste some of that joy now, especially as we remember and celebrate the Savior’s gifts to us. He came into the world to be the Lamb of God, to pay the price of all of the sins of His Father’s children in mortality so that all might be forgiven. In the Christmas season we feel a greater desire to remember and ponder the Savior’s words. He warned us that we cannot be forgiven unless we forgive others. That is often hard to do, so you will need to pray for help. This help to forgive will come most often when you are allowed to see that you have given as much or more hurt than you have received.

When you act on that answer to your prayer for strength to forgive, you will feel a burden lifted from your shoulders. Carrying a grudge is a heavy burden. As you forgive, you will feel the joy of being forgiven. At this Christmastime you can give and receive the gift of forgiveness. The feeling of happiness that will come will be a glimpse of what we can feel at home together in the eternal home for which we yearn.”

When I read that article five Christmases ago I longed to search my heart for old grudges or hurts that I've held on to, and I wanted to let them go, with the help of the Lord. Since that time the natural man in me has provided me many opportunities to relearn how to forgive.  The people I have worked hardest to forgive are the people I love most genuinely and with the least judging.  It’s a kind of loving that makes me feel happier.  This teaching of forgiveness is and has been a gift to me.

How has Jesus been a gift to you? How has his life changed yours? I wish I could hear your answers!

Many of you have probably already seen the Christmas video the church published recently titled “He is the gift.” If not, it’s posted on the lds.org homepage. The missionaries showed it to our family this week and I want to read the text to you.

The First Gift was not wrapped

Had no bow

Wasn’t puchashed online

Or in a store

The first gift of Chrsitmas

Was a simple gift

A sacred gift

Is wasn’t gold

Or frankincense

Or myrrh

It was a gift of love

And life

And peace

And hope

Given by a father

To all his children

“For God so loved the world…”

And so loved you 

And you

And you

And every single one of us.

He gave his Son

He is the Christ

He is Christmas

HE is the GIFT

This Christmas Season

Discover the gift

Embrace the gift

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. “ It’s a beautiful video with the perfect invitation.

My sons like to pick dandelions and other flowers for me and expect me to put them in my hair or in a vase.  When I don’t, they feel bad! At a very young age we understand that gifts are intended for use! And use brings joy to the giver.

I testify that Jesus Christ is alive today with arms stretched out still.  Our Heavenly Father loves us perfectly and eternally, no matter what. They long for us to accept their gift more fully and delight when we do.  What could be a better way to celebrate Christmas than to receive Jesus more fully into our hearts and lives? With that thought in mind I wish you a very merry, and holy Christmas.