My memory tree

Christmas is a great time of the year. It is a time of reconnecting with family through cards or dinners. It is a time of giving and receiving presents. It is a time when everyone seems to carry more joy around their lives. For me, the most important thing about Christmas is memories. Memories are so precious. When we are living in the rush, we sometimes forget to savour those memories of when our children are small, when we were still children and the extended family some of us have. Later on, those memories are maybe all we have left. That is the reason God gave us the ability to remember.

So what are some of those memories we should be having at Christmas? The first one is to always remember the birth of Jesus. Without His birth there would be no cross and if there is no cross there is no Saviour and if there is no Saviour there is no eternal life. Christmas is the fun time to remember Jesus. His life on the earth was just beginning and for many of us Christmas can mark the time of new beginnings. Maybe for you this year, like me, one of our loved ones is no longer here. This Christmas will be a new beginning. Maybe this year, like my best friend, you have become a grandma, a grandpa, a new mum or a new dad. This is the time of new beginnings for you.

One of the things I do at Christmas is put up my Christmas tree. This tree holds many memories as I put baubles and other things on it that my children decorated when they were younger or when I put the paper star on the tree made many years ago. My tree represents for me a lifetime of memories of Christmases past and hope for Christmases of the future.

What are your traditions of memories? God was big into memories. All through the book of Genesis, He called Himself the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Long after they were gone, God still referred to Himself as this. God was reminding the people of the testimonies of these three to encourage them in their own walk with God. God does not want us to dwell in the memories but cast our minds back to the good ones. If God answered our prayer back then, He will do it again.

So this Christmas, no matter what your memories are tied into, remember Jesus. He came to earth to be born that He might die so you and I would be reconciled to God – but only if we believe in Jesus and what He did for us. This is a great time to remind ourselves of the goodness of God. God gave His Son so we could give. Give someone the gift of your memories and have a great Christmas.

Don’t forget to keep living the life God intended for you. Bless you all heaps!