The Story of Love = Christmas

As I look upon this Christmas season, what am I actually looking for? As you grow older, it changes. When you’re younger you are consumed with the newest and greatest toys that you wish you will get. You spend uncountable minutes, maybe even hours, trying to think of what Christmas morning will provide you. The lights throughout the neighborhoods take your breath away and you want to keep looking at them till they are finally turned off. Yes, you know the true meaning of Christmas, but sometimes you may loose sight of it.

I was talking to a couple of my roommates today and I was saying how I was going to get bored of being home over the break. Given I’ll have family visiting and I will be doing things with them, as well has hopefully helping out at work to earn some money, but the rest of the time will be just my parents and me at the house. (Which, truthfully, isn’t my ideal choice of fun…Fox News and tv all day, and dare I say, I don’t really have any friends where my parents live.) But why? Why should I allow myself to become “bored.” The usage of that word is and was not allowed in my house while growing up. “Only boring people get bored” my mother would always say after one of us kids would say that word. She’s so right! Why should we ever get bored, especially during the most beloved season of the year?!

While I was listening to the First Presidency Devotional tonight it struck me what I can do to solve my dilemma. President Eyring spoke of how the story of Christmas is a story of love. Christ came to Earth from his exalted state out of true love for his brothers and sisters to ultimately save our lives. So how can I show my love for those around me? In Galatians it says “…by love serve one another.” In Matthew it says “…Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” And in Mosiah it is stated “…when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.” What better a way to show love not only to those around us, but to our Heavenly Father and to our Savior Jesus Christ! So I asked myself, “What can I do this break to serve my fellow men?”

When I get home and spend time getting ready for the Christmas season, like putting up and decorating the Christmas trees (because really, I’m the only one who has done it the past 7 years of my life, and love it,) doing a little shopping for family members, and gazing at thousands of Christmas lights, I can’t let these “distractions,” as President Uchtdorf said, get in the way of remembering the true meaning of Christmas. I need to see through my heart and look outwardly upon others instead of on myself and how I may get “bored.” But the question still lingers, how can I reach out and touch someone this season? Something as simple as a smile may make a person’s day, but I want to do more than just smiling, I do that all day. I want to exert my whole self. Put my heart into something that will make a difference. This will be my personal challenge this break: to remember other’s needs instead of my own.

Be safe and know that I love you all, my friends and family, and I wish you the greatest joys that this beautiful season brings.