Telling the Christmas Story on Christmas Eve

Picture this scene. Everyone scrambles to get ready. Pajamas are donned and teeth are brushed. Before prayers are said, there’s to be a gathering in the living room. Each person finds a comfortable place to sit. The lights on the Christmas tree sparkle like diamonds. The smell of peppermint and holly wafts throughout the room. Do you smell the cinnamon muffins in the oven? It’s Christmas Eve and everybody is waiting to hear the Christmas Story.

A Christian Christmas is not complete without sharing the Christmas story. The story of the baby Jesus’ miraculous conception and lowly birth reaffirms our faith during the holiday season. Recounting the story on Christmas Eve prepares us for Christmas Day. We go to sleep thinking of Jesus and wake up with thanksgiving on our lips.

One individual doesn’t have to be responsible for telling the story. The entire family can get involved. Each member can come up with their own unique way of sharing the story. I like poetry. My contribution could be telling the story in a rhyme. My nephew loves to write rap lyrics. That’s an idea for kids, especially boys. They can set the story to music. Whatever the idea, encourage each other to express what they feel in their hearts.

Sharing the Christmas story doesn’t have to take place before bedtime either. You could buy a DVD of the Christmas story and invite friends and other family members over early in the day on Christmas Eve and view it together. Add in some hot cocoa and a slice of cake and you’ve created a relaxing afternoon.

Whichever setting you choose for the story telling, ask those who are present to describe how the story makes them feel. For instance, I am grateful that God loved me so much that He allowed Jesus to be born. Looking at what Mary and Joseph went through, I am reminded that it is not always easy following God, but it always pays off.

Jesus was born to save the world. When we share his story at Christmastime, we give special attention to the One whose birth got little attention at the time.