Christmas Babies

This Christmastime I’m thinking a lot about helpless little babies.  We have a new baby in our family, and sometimes when I hold little Lucia, I think of how not long ago she was in the spirit world, a conscious being, making decisions for herself. She made the decision to come to earth, to be given a body, and to try to follow God’s plan. At the Council in Heaven, when she learned of this wonderful plan, she, along with all of us, shouted for joy at this chance to obtain a body. 

But then she was born, and this body she had yearned for is tiny and helpless. Her head bobbles about, her tiny little fingers are useless. She can’t do anything for herself but eat and cry. Sometimes I hold her and tell her it’s OK. She will learn and grow and someday return to live in heaven again.

I think of that other baby. There in Bethlehem, over 2000 years ago, heaven and earth came together as the son of God, the creator of the world, the great Jehovah of the Old Testament, was born a tiny little baby to a frightened young mother in a humble stable. Like Lucia, He was confined to a weak and powerless body, his head bobbling, his fingers useless. He did this for us, to fulfill a plan made before the beginning of the world. He came to teach us. He came to save us. 

And when He was born--when the word was made flesh, when the promise of the great council was fulfilled--the angels in heaven sang. “For unto you is born this day. . . a Savior, which is Christ the Lord . . . Glory to God in the highest.” (Luke 2:10) Little Lucia--and all of us--were likely among them.  

This little baby Jesus grew—“waxed strong”—and became our great example. As a mortal himself, he was able to teach us how to live as mortals. He taught us to love one another, to pray for our enemies, to bless them that despitefully use us. But more than teaching us, he showed us how to serve. He helped the hungry, the blind, the paralytic, those who mourned. 

And for this we sing Glory to God. Through all his actions, he showed us how to look around us and do what we can to help one another.  As little Lucia grows, she will learn to follow Jesus’s example, to strive to heal the wounded and the weary around us, to help those who cannot see his light. She will bring joy to others as she serves, and through her service she will be changed in her heart, become better, more holy.

But Jesus the Christ is more than just a good example. There have been many wise teachers and good examples in the world. Though Jesus was born as a helpless baby, He was not truly mortal.  He was and is the Son of God and filled with God’s power. He not only helped those who were blind, he gave them sight; he not only soothed the paralytic, he bade him walk, he not only comforted the grieving family, he returned the daughter to life. Through Christ’s Power, he was able to not only help others in their need, but to take away their suffering.

When I look to the future of our tiny innocent Lucia, I want to see only joy and happiness. But because I know we were all sent to earth to be tested, I know that she will also face sorrow. Someday she will go to nursery and some other kid will take away her toy. Someday on the school playground, some mean kids will make her cry. At some future time, some boy will doubtless break her heart. And because we all live in a mortal world, she will face sickness and sorrow and even death.

 But Christ knows the sorrows Lucia will face. Alma taught that, through the atonement, Christ  “will take upon him [our] infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy . . ., that he may know . . .how to succor his people according to their infirmities.(Alma 7:12.)

Jesus Christ knows our hearts and our sorrows, for he has suffered our sufferings. Because he has felt what we feel, he knows just how to help us. And He doesn’t wait until the end of our life to help us—he, through his great atoning sacrifice, knows just how to help us all along the way. He is with Lucia to help her all through her mortal journey; He is with each one of us, yearning to help us every day.

No wonder we sing Glory to God.

Perhaps the greatest reason to praise God at Christmas time is that He was born to die that all of us might live forever. He has made a way for us to return to live with Him and Heavenly Father forever.

When Lucia-- and all of us-- shouted for joy at the Heavenly Council,  she knew she needed to come to earth so she could receive a body.  She knew she needed to learn and grow, so she could become more like her Father in Heaven and her older brother Jesus Christ. Her goal was to live in such a way that she could return, clean and pure, to live with them again.  

She knew it would be hard, but I don’t think she knew just how hard. I don’t think any of us knew.  I think maybe it was like when I went away to college and I had visions of getting straight A’s and dating a football star. I didn’t know how hard it would be.

Because we live in a mortal world, because we are mortals, we mess up. Even when we know Christ’s teachings, even when we try to follow his example, we make mistakes, sometimes we even willfully choose not to do what He would have us do. Sometimes we leave the path. We don’t stay as pure and clean as Lucia is right now.

But Heavenly Father and Jesus knew we would be weak and make mistakes. They also knew that we couldn’t return to live with them unless we were sinless. So they designed Christ’s great atoning sacrifice.

Lucia and you and I—whatever mistakes we make, we can be made clean, sinless. The scriptures teach “Though thy sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18). Through our repentance and Christ’s atonement, our sins are taken away. Every day we can pray to be forgiven; each week we can take the Sacrament, repent, and become clean. Because of Christ, whatever sins we may commit, we can become as pure as a newborn babe--as pure as little Lucia is now--ready to return to live with our beloved Father in Heaven.  

And for this we sing, Glory to God.

And what do we--Lucia and all of us-- need to do to receive this wonderful gift? Come unto Christ. Reach out to him, love him, trust him. Talk to him in prayer: share our joys and sorrows with Him. Be grateful. Watch for his help. Learn of him by studying his word.  Love and serve each other. Repent when we make mistakes.

That’s all.  Just do our best. He will help us and sustain us all along the way. 

   

That silent night so long ago, Jesus Christ, was born a tiny baby to be our example and friend, our Savior and Redeemer. He came to heal and save little baby Lucia. He came to heal and save each one of us.  

Now at Christmastime, and always, let us rejoice for the matchless gift of God’s divine son. Let us sing again with the angels, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”(Luke 2:14) 

The Year I Ruined Christmas

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBwELzvnrQg

One Christmas time, not long before the big day, when my five children were all still living at home, teenagers mostly, I was madly dashing from one task to another. I think maybe we were having guests that night. I was madly decorating, cleaning, washing clothes, baking, cooking, shopping, wrapping—you know the routine, I’m sure.

Of course, I had given the kids chores too—but it was maybe the first day of Christmas holidays and they were joking and singing and carrying on, happy as can be, but not making headway on their tasks. 

I went on--scrubbing bathrooms, mopping the floor, vacuuming—getting more and more angry at those selfish kids. 

Finally, I called them all to the kitchen for a serious Talk. They gathered around the island still happy and smiling—then I started in.

“Do you think it is fair that I have to do all the work? Do you think it is right that I am working so hard to make a happy Christmas for you while you are just fooling around?”

My voice raised high and higher until I screamed, “I do everything for you so you will be happy at Christmas, and you don’t even appreciate it!”

And then I burst into tears.

Suddenly the smiles and laughter were gone. Confused, the children looked at each other and then at their feet. My youngest’s face began to crumple.

Sobbing, I moved to the family room and sank onto the couch All five gathered around me in the family room. All was silent while I tried to compose myself.

Then my son David, about 14 at the time, a kindly soul and one who can always see comic potential, sat down beside me on the couch and softly patted my shoulder. He comforted me in the kindest tones, “There, there, Mom. Don’t worry. It’s OK.”

I took my head out of my hands and looked at his sweet face.

David continued, kindly and sweetly, simply explaining the obvious, “You don’t need to worry about ruining Christmas.”

I began to tentatively smile. Then he continued, still in the sweetest, most kind tones, “You’ve already ruined Christmas.”

Then I looked around at everyone’s stricken faces, those faces that moments before had been laughing and joking in celebration.

And I started to laugh. 

Because, guess what? They were https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBwELzvnrQghaving a happy Christmas. Until I started yelling and crying.

Soon we were all laughing, because it was funny. I had worked myself into a tizzy to make a happy Christmas, worked so hard I yelled at them and blamed them and yes—ruined Christmas. In an effort to make a perfect Christmas, I ruined it.

And you know what else was funny? 

I didn’t really ruin Christmas. We went on to have a happy time together. And many more happy Christmases since. Because one meltdown does not a Christmas ruin.

But the kids now say, like it’s a family tradition, "When are you going to ruin Christmas, Mom? 

I didn’t totally give up on Christmas meltdowns. But often, when I’m close to one, I remember the year I ruined Christmas and stop to think. I wonder, is whatever I am stressing about really worth ruining Christmas over? And the answer, of course, is no.

So lately the kids have been saying, “Mom hasn’t even ruined Christmas yet. Gosh, Mom. Don’t you have any sense of tradition?”