Christmas 2003

It’s December already and the whole family has Christmas on the brain. Like last year, Lee Anne had set the alarm clock for 4:30 AM and braved the “Day After Thanksgiving Sale” at Super Wal-Mart, and I, being the loving, supportive husband that I am, offered to stay home with the children as they lay nestled all snug in their beds. Yes, I admit that I had participated in this adventure last year, after which I decided that being surrounded by an endless sea of flying female elbows was not my idea of a relaxing vacation. Every aisle was completely filled with bumper to bumper shopping carts along with wild eyed people having only one thing on their mind – getting their loot before someone else did. You see, I was in the market for a computer and all I wanted to do was read the side of the computer box; you know, the label with all the specs like RAM, hard disk space, CD writer, etc. As I moved in that direction I was suddenly screened out by two women, arms out and crouching like basketball players trying to get a rebound. I don’t think Michael Jordon could have made it through that screen.

To bring you up to date, Lee Anne is doing an incredible job educating our children in the home, Rebekah will be 7 next month and can already read and write, Benjamin (5) enjoys Lego’s, his hamster “Nutty”, riding his bike without the training wheels and anything that flies (hopefully not the hamster), and Stephen (9 months) has two teeth and moves faster than a Tennessee tornado. The Johnson tree has been decorated, the stockings are hanging on the stair case and the children are dropping subtle hints, on second thought, they are boldly proclaiming every item their little hearts desire to be laying under the tree. Ah, Christmas is in the air.

Not long ago, while driving quietly down the road with the family, Rebekah, from the back of the van asks, “Dad, you know that song that says, ‘Glo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-ria’? Well, why does it say, ‘in Chelsea’s stable’?” After we finished laughing and telling Rebekah how cute she was, we then had an impromptu lesson in Latin explaining that the meaning of “in excel sis Deo” had nothing to do with some girl named Chelsea but has everything to do with a stable.

As I walked down stairs this morning, I was delighted to hear the Kirk Franklin Christmas CD playing “Jesus is the Reason for the Season” in that black gospel choir style. Somewhere in the middle of the song Kirk exclaims, “Santa Claus ain’t got nothin’ on this!” and you know, he’s right.

We’re constantly surrounded with little reminders, maybe a still small voice that gently reminds, “Hey, remember Christmas is my birthday.” No other birth in the history of the universe has carried such significance for mankind. God Himself coming to earth in the form of a child so that you and I might be forgiven. Truly “Santa Claus ain’t got nothin’ on this!”