Christmas in 3D

We're driving home from school when the littlest says to me, "Mom, I can't wait 'til Christmas. It's about getting presents." I almost slam on my brakes. "No, honey, it's about celebrating the greatest gift God has given us. He gave us Jesus." I go on to explain why we give gifts this time of year.

A few days later, the kids and I are driving around town when little man announces proudly that Christmas is about giving. Again, I almost slam on my brakes. Feeling a little proud that my talk had finally clarified things in his mind, I was taken aback when the next thing out of his mouth was, "The more you give, the more you get!" I asked him where he heard that, and I should have known it was from that great theologian SpongeBob. As I sat trying to think how to rephrase his poor theology, my oldest says matter-of-factly, "Bennett, you don't give just to get presents." I'm so glad someone in this house gets it!

In the middle of this crazy season, we finally find a few hours when no one has to be anywhere. The blizzard has left a white blanket all around us, and it feels like Christmas. We make the 40 minute drive to see our favorite Santa.  He's our favorite because he's held every one of our children every year since that first little chubby one sat on his lap. He knows us. Who wouldn't remember the odd family with the three Korean faces and the little blond boy who seemed to arrive out of the blue. Every year, we wonder, "Will he still be there? Will it be the same Santa?" And this year we have to whisper it because the 4-year-old still thinks he's the only Santa. We smile when we see him - same beard, same sweet man.

The two middle boys each take a knee. The young one is a bit shy. (He says he's not scared!! Actually, he screams it!) He takes a seat next to Santa, and to mom's delight, the oldest one decides it's not totally uncool to be in the picture. Santa asks them what they would like for Christmas, and each one whispers his wishes. Every year, I wonder why we ever started this tradition. Why do we continue it? I mean, we all know (except for the smallest one) who really brings the presents. And we all understand (except maybe the youngest one) the life-changing meaning of this season; the significance of the birth of our Savior.

We spend the rest of the evening, eating Japanese food (another favorite tradition) and helping each child think about what his brothers would like and what they can give. One teases his brother with words about how he 's going to love his gift so much he might explode. Another one begs me to let him open his brother's gift first thing on Christmas Eve. It 's not a quiet night, but when we fall into the car to head home, we all sigh and agree it was a great night.

As the boys settle in for the long ride, I think about all the Christmas Eves my siblings and I would lie in the back of that old green station wagon looking through the moon roof to see who would be the first to see Santa's sleigh. I love that old tradition. I smile at the thought and wonder what my kids will remember. What memories will they cherish? What traditions will they carry on?

I pull out a few pairs of 3-D paper glasses from several years ago - the kind that makes every Christmas light look like it's wrapped in snowflakes or stars, etc... 

The boys fight over who gets to look first. I wish, for a brief moment, I had never pulled them out, when all of a sudden the little one screams, "I see snowfakes!"

Then someone in the back seat screams, "I see Noel everywhere!"

When they finally tire of the glasses, they pass them forward, and I decide to put on the pair with Noel. And there it is! He's right. Every single light we pass is wrapped with the word Noel - every stop light, every brake light, every street lamp and every Christmas light.

The word noel is French for Christmas. Some say it stems from the Latin word natalis (birth)referring to the birth or nativity of Christ. Others believe it stems from the French word nouvelles (news) referring to the good news of Christ's birth. Either way, when everything is wrapped in Noel, when we see everything through the lens of the good news of Christ's birth, even the simplest of  traditions, wrapped in the true meaning of Christmas, can point to Christ. May you see Christ in everything you do this season, and may everything you do and say point to Him! Joyeux Noel!