The bag holds yet another Christmas tree
It’s difficult to accept, however another Christmas has gone back and forth. It arrives so slowly but departs so quickly. I suppose I will never comprehend that. This Christmas was probably the strangest one I’ve ever had.
Those first Christmases when I was young are the ones I remember; They arrived here so slowly. Every day, I believe, gained at least 10 additional hours during the week leading up to Christmas. I was so exhausted from waiting by Christmas Eve that I had no idea what to do.
Due to the fact that I was only five months old at the time, I cannot recall my first Christmas. Those early Christmases are hard for me to remember, but I’m sure they were fun and joyful. There were no mobile phones around then thus I have no selfies to show.
The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and I were having our morning coffee around the Christmas tree the day after Christmas. For both of us, looking at the tree brought back a lot of memories. Despite the fact that my memories are more hazy than hers, the memory is what matters.
We are in what is known as the “empty nest stage” of our lives, and the house is so quiet. As I thought about this, I couldn’t help but think back on some of those Christmases, which were so energetic and loud that I thought Christmas Day would never end.
In our house, the weeks leading up to Christmas were quite interesting. The Charitable Courtesan of the Parsonage assembles everything, and she has an arrangement for everything.
I remember trying to assist her one year but getting in her way. In addition, a few ornaments from the Christmas tree broke when I dropped them. I have never made up for that one to this day.
I thought back to a Christmas when I was quite young as we sat around the Christmas tree. I’m sure this took place hundreds of years ago. My father gave me a Daisy Red Ryder BB gun as a Christmas present that year. That was the time when something like that took place.
I’ve never been more pleased with a Christmas present. In the first month I had it, I have no idea how many boxes of BBs I consumed. Going outside and firing my BB gun at anything and everything was the most exciting thing for me.
I long for the good old days when anyone, no matter how old or young they were, could be a man. A BB firearm was an incredible resource around then.
I’ll be the first to admit that I lost my BB gun in the first few days after Christmas. I wasn’t supposed to shoot any windows in the house, for some reason I’m still unsure of. If my memory serves me correctly, I believe I shot three windows during that episode.
Not only was my BB gun taken away from me, but I also received a Christmas spanking. I almost feel like I’m being spanked today.
Nobody told me what I wasn’t supposed to shoot with my BB gun when I got it for Christmas. It wasn’t my shortcoming that I shot a window. My parents were to blame for failing to warn me not to shoot a window. However, they were only interested in the fact that I shot the window—not why I did so.
I did get it back in a few weeks, and from that point on, I was very careful with what I shot. I recall having a wonderful time with it. Only wished I had that BB gun at this point. I often wondered where that BB gun went.
As I told my wife about my BB gun, I laughed.
Even though I tried, my wife never told me a story like that. I am aware of several, but I was unable to persuade her to admit that. She knows, of course, that if I had that kind of information, I could benefit from it.
I’ve discovered that wives talk a lot, but they also know when to stop. When it comes to husbands, they rarely speak, but they never know when they should.
This year’s time spent admiring our Christmas tree was very special. The ornaments would be packed away, the tree would be taken down in about a week, and it would be put back in the attic where we stored it. However, it was wonderful to contemplate all of the activities that took place around that tree while it was elevated.
Naturally, we have replaced that tree numerous times over the years. But what really matters is the thought. We are sure to be cheered up by the wonderful tales that come from that tree. We talked for a while about the gifts we received and gave.
I recalled a Scripture verse that has encouraged me as we reminisced.
Acts 20:35 says, “I have shown you all things, how so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
What matters most is what you give and why you give it, not what you get in return.
Dr. James L. Snyder lives in Ocala, Florida, with the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. He is the pastor of the Family of God Fellowship.
