Whether we realize it or not, we create Christmas memories with each passing year. They are the things that linger – not the gifts received or the decorations we fret over. Yvonne Ortega’s story touched my heart and I have asked her to share it here during our Treasure the Quiet Moments series. I hope it blesses you too.
Special Memories of Christmas
When my son was little, my heart’s desire was that he would understand why Christians celebrate Christmas. I determined we would treasure the Christmas season. We wouldn’t rush from store to store or from one social event to another.
The four weeks before Christmas, we would light the Advent wreath candle each evening and pray together. I would read a Bible story to him from his children’s Bible, and we would talk about it.
I placed one Nativity set under the Christmas tree, and the larger one on the coffee table. Visions of my son arranging and re-arranging Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, and the other figurines still brighten my day. He would carry on a conversation with them, as if they were sitting on the floor with him.
Soft Christian carols played in the background as we made Christmas cookies. However, we didn’t use ordinary cookie cutters. I bought nativity set cookie cutters when my son was two years old. Each year, we would talk about Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, the shepherds, the Wise Men, the cattle, the sheep, the angel, and the manger as we rolled out the cookie dough and made Christmas cookies.
Incidentally, you can still buy Nativity set cookie cutters on Amazon.
Every day during the Christmas season, I played traditional carols on the piano or the autoharp, and the two of us sang.
We joined the Bible Memory Association and Bible Study Fellowship when he was two years old. At that time, the children learned the verses in the King James Version. I wish I had recorded my son at age three saying Luke 2:11: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”
My son knew on Christmas we would celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ. I would bake a cake for Jesus. We would frost it together, and he would place a candle on the cake. Before we ate Christmas dinner, we would sing Happy Birthday to Jesus.
When my son was four years old, we went to the Annual Christmas program at church. Prior to the program, he had invited Jesus Christ into his life. When the program ended, he said, “Mama, why didn’t the pastor give an invitation?”
I said, “I don’t know, but there he is. Ask him.”
My little child walked up to the 6’ pastor, looked up at him, and said, “Why didn’t you give an invitation? I wanted everyone to know I invited Jesus into my life, even King Herod.”
The pastor said, “I didn’t do it because of the Christmas program. From now on I will always give an invitation no matter what.”
Six years ago, my precious son passed away unexpectedly after surgery. I miss him and the celebration of our Christmas traditions together. I’m so thankful I took the time to create special memories of Christmas with him.
Copyright © by Yvonne Ortega November 20, 2015
How can you be more intentional about creating memories this year?
Yvonne Ortega is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Substance Abuse Treatment Practitioner, Clinically Certified Domestic Violence Counselor, bilingual professional speaker, and a Certified World Class Speaking Coach. She is the author of Moving from Broken to Beautiful: 9 Life Lessons to Help You Move Forward and Finding Hope for Your Journey through Breast Cancer (Revell). Yvonne is a member of the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association and the National Speakers Association. She is also an Area Director in Toastmasters International. She helps adults in moving from broken to beautiful through life’s challenges and transitions. Her website is www.yvonneortega.com.
Be sure to leave a comment to be entered in our drawing for our Christmas sign.
Must be shipped to a lower 48 state mailing address. Receive entries for every comment on our series posts, sharing on social media (be sure to tell me) and for subscribing to my blog and ministry newsletter.
Yvonne’s books are available at Amazon:
These Amazon affiliate offerings are suggested because of their connection to my blog content. As an affiliate, when you order anything from Amazon by clicking through one of these links, a small percentage helps to fund my web content. Thank you
It seems like our biggest Christmas tradition is being super busy. I hope that’s not what the kids remember. When they were little, we had a Happy Birthday Jesus cake every year. We also light our Advent wreath (though I never seem to get it set up until well into Advent.)
Do you have suggestions for new memories with adult children? We’re entering that phase of our lives.
Stephenie
Stephenie, it is funny you should ask about creating memories with adult children. Mine are 31, 29 and 29 and they like to do what they did when they were young. Christmas eve we would have homemade pizza, chicken wings and Greek salad. We watched George C. Scott’s Christmas Carol and Charlie Brown’s Christmas. And, we always opened gifts on Christmas morning.
Last year when everyone was home for Christmas (along with my daughter-in-love) we switched it up and had Chinese food on Christmas Eve. And, surprise of surprises we opened gifts on Christmas Eve because we were going to be on the road seeing family early the next morning.
This year, no one will be at home. Our son is deployed. Our daughter-in-love will be seeing her family. And, our daughters are across the country. So, we are planning a Skype Christmas party and will open gifts together that way.
My Dear Yvonne, This is a beautiful story of bringing the life of the LORD to your son; Who in turn gave his life to the LORD. My children and grandchildren played with the nativity set all their growing up years; now the great grandchildren do the same. Thank you for the idea of nativity cookie cutters, you created wonderful memories of eternal blessings.
Love Jan
Jan, we do have our children for such a short time. Instilling values and leaving a legacy imprinted on their hearts is one of our tasks as a parent. A huge task! I am so thankful for the grace we have been given. We will never do it perfectly. But we can do what we can. It’s amazing what a small thing like nativity sets and cookie cutters can do to instill the story of Jesus.
Thank you , Yvonne, for sharing these words of truth “out of the mouths of babes”. Often I feel like throwing my hands up in December and saying I can’t fight the pull of “activities” and “stuff” that take my focus away from my Lord. You shared some very practical, everyday ideas that anyone can engage in with a heart of intentional love for the One who came to be one of us. G-d in the flesh.
Jane, thanks for your comments. Yvonne does offer some great ways to share with our kids ‘as we walk along the way’
Yvonne, thank you for sharing the descriptions of Christmas with your son. They’re beautiful!