Christmas Sparkle

Christmas is my favorite.
I mean seriously, seriously my favorite. Ranks right up there with Disneyland in the giddy department.
Although...is it just me, or as one gets older does the sparkle dim a bit? It seems I'm forever reaching and grasping for just a taste of what I used to feel as a kid.
Kind of a bummer, really.
The weekend after Thanksgiving, we set up our tree and I tricked my entire family (in-laws as well - so sorry!) into watching the Muppet Christmas Carol. Truly. Favorite Christmas movie of all time. Which I fully acknowledge is pathetic when there are such classic choices as White Christmas and National Lampoon's Family Christmas out there.
Hmmm...where was I?
Ah yes. The magic (or lack thereof) of Christmas.
Yes, I realize and rejoice that the point really is Christ and His birth.
I just kinda like the rest of it, too. The lights that have nothing to do with anything. The tree. The movies. The music (what does a hippopotamus have to do with any of it anyway?!). The peppermint mocha creamer.
I just love that stuff.
Watching my kids delight in our tree (which this year includes a little train to go around the bottom...too bad Mommy didn't know it plays music (if you can call it that) when it's on...ahhhhh!!!) and enjoy my all-time favorite movie...I got why my parents still have the Christmas twinkle in their eye- kids put it there. They really do!
I realized this Christmas season is a two-way learning/teaching giving/receiving street.
I teach them about the sacrifice and wonder of Christ's birth and be sure they know Santa is fun to pretend about but not real.
And they teach me to just enjoy. To quit worrying about if they really understand what God has done for us.
To quit worrying about if there are lights on the house.
To just enjoy.
To stare at the beautiful tree and sparkly ornaments and not worry if they are distributed evenly.
To wake each morning and wonder if snow has (or will ever)come.
To clap and jump up and down each morning that we move the star on our advent calendar one day (and one sleep) closer to Christmas day.
To squeal in delight as we drive slowly by houses that are lit up with Christmas cheer.
Watching their faces, I am filled to overflowing with gratitude that the Lord has allowed me, me of all women, to be their mother.
Filled with gratitude that as they get older and realize that all are born sinners that I get to share with them the magnitude of what Jesus did for them.
That Christmas is sparkly and wonderful because of what HE did for us. Not because of what presents we get or what music plays on the radio or what movies we get to enjoy.
But because He loves us enough. He made a way.
Wahhooooo!!!
And, in His grace and kindness, we still get to enjoy the wonder of the season through their eyes...which puts the Christmas sparkle back in mine.