Sears and Roebuck Catalog

Years ago, around Thanksgiving when I was a young boy our family shared a Sears and Roebucks catalog to search for the one or two things that we wanted for Christmas.  It marked the beginning of the season. Besides a birthday, these would basically be the only gifts we would receive each year. We chose carefully and hoped greatly as we whittled the list down to two. Sometimes we got what we asked for, sometimes not. But in the end, our parents made Christmas special and meaningful—getting a tree as a family, decorating it with ornaments collected through the years each having its own story, listening to Christmas albums played on a record player that my parents grew up with. All of this created an unhurried runway for the season. It was slow and comfortable; hurry wasn’t in the air. Christmas Eve was always a wonderful time shared with friends at church hearing the story of stories, the birth of our savior. Christmas carols of old warmed the heart and reminded us of what really mattered. After church was final wrapping and sitting around the family room by a real fireplace taking it all in—for many years with grandparents weaving tales of Christmas’ past. And Christmas morning was a time out of time experience. It wasn’t rushed, it was savored, as were the few gifts that needed to last for a year…

If I was asked what I want for Christmas this year it has nothing to do with Black Friday deals or anything the immediate gratification world could deliver to my doorstep in two days. What I long for tonight is the unhurried experience of a Christmas season that always started with a shared catalog around Thanksgiving time that ignited our imaginations, the tree, the lights, non-matching ornaments with meaning, a cozy meaningful Christmas Eve service pointing to Jesus, and the smell of hot chocolate and coffee brewing along with cinnamon rolls baking as we opened a few presents on Christmas morning with those we loved and cherished.  That’s all. I cherish those memories. Until next time…