A "Charlie Brown Christmas"

     When I was a little girl I remember watching "Charlie Brown's Christmas" on TV.  We had just bought our first color TV not too long before, so it was a special treat to watch this show in color that night!  My sister and I cuddled in front of the screen and sat mesmerized by the cartoon characters of Lucy, Linus and Charlie Brown.  I wondered why all the adults sounded like broken trumpets and why Snoopy didn't talk.  Secretly I admired Linus for carrying his blanket everywhere with him.   But most of all I remember the pitiful little Christmas tree that Charlie Brown picked for the Christmas presentation.  My heart was touched by Charlie's simple gesture to help himself and others remember "the real reason for the season". 
     When I think back to that time, I remember telling my mother,  "I want to make Christmas special this year, Mommy.  I don't want our Christmas to be just about gifts."  It was with a genuine heart that I vowed to try to think about the birth of baby Jesus instead of all those gifts that would surely be found under the tree on Christmas morning.
As you can guess, I quickly forgot my promise when the abundance of Christmas gifts met me that morning.  My parents were only too happy to lavish gifts upon their two young daughters, and I was only too happy to see all these new gifts!
     Now I am in my 50's and I find myself still struggling with the concept of Christmas.  It is a magical holiday for our (almost adult) children.  Rick and I have tried to keep the spirit of Christ's birth alive during the Christmas season, but we, too, wrestle with the commercialism of this holiday.  Our children receive three gifts from us ~~ just like baby Jesus received gold, frankincense and myrhh ~~ and we have read the Nativity story on many Christmas mornings. 
     But last year I found something special =) I found a 2-foot high "Charlie Brown Christmas Tree" !  The poor thing was bent over and held one red Christmas ornament just like the little tree that Charlie Brown decorated for his pageant!  Perhaps God was reminding me of His unspoken prompt to my heart when I was a little girl.  As I unwrapped my little tree from its box, my family stood around our table as I told them my story of long ago.  And this year, our little Christmas tree will occupy a special place as our kitchen table centerpiece.  We will still celebrate Christmas, but just maybe, each of us will remember the story of the Nativity this holiday season.