One Christmas I saw a cartoon that showed a boy gazing into a store window at a sign that read:

Have The Best Christmas Ever!

Thoughtfully, he said, "It's pretty hard to top the first one."

Years ago my husband and I had an experience that drew our attention to that first Christmas. In mid-December, I gave birth prematurely to a much-wanted son. As our "Tiny Tim" struggled for life, he was rushed to another hospital. Then, miles away from us, he died all alone. Christmas that year was not jolly but grievous.

In our grief, however, God gave us a moving glimpse of His original Christmas. We saw that God also experienced empty arms, but in a much greater way. His baby Son had been born to die--a death that would bring eternal life to us all. Like Mary, we cherished and pondered these thoughts in our hearts. Slowly, the unhappiness that had threatened to diminish the meaning of Christmas enlarged it instead. In time, that Christmas became the most meaningful one we've ever had.

Once again, Christmas this year will be unavoidably sad for many people, perhaps for you. Take heart! Christmas needn't be merry to be meaningful. It's the Christ of Christmas we celebrate, not Christmas itself. Ponder Him!  — Joanie Yoder