Long before there was a Santa Claus or Rudolph, Christmas trees, sparkling electric lights, or crazed mobs rushing the aisles at Walmart–Before Frosty the Snowman and Jingle Bells, and even before Dickens’ ghosts of Christmases past, present, and future–
There was a Silent Night in the Little Town of Bethlehem. Sleepy shepherds on a nearby hill were shaken from their dreams by a Song in the Night. Hark! The Herald Angels sang! The message was clear, for It Came upon a Midnight Clear. The shepherds left their sheep to seek visible proof of the angel’s melodic words, and found Him Away in a Manger. What Child is This? they wondered, amazed, and how would this tiny baby change the world? Truly, this was The First Noel!
Later, the magi came–We Three Kings–following a star, seeking a king, bringing the proverbial gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Joy to the World–the Lord has come!
“And Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”
Much, much later, with all the innocence and wisdom of childhood, a boy named Linus would answer his friend’s question. “That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown!”
Dawn Shipman is an author living in the Evergreen state of Washington. When not writing, she's riding her horse, working on the farm, and trying to keep up on her gigantic TBR list!
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