Christmas Eve

It's Christmas Eve!
Are you one of the millions of peeps that enjoy having poinsettias in the house? Does your local church use them to decorate? The lovely red, white, or pink flowers have become a staple of the Christmas season, and they have a history that is dear to my heart. Let me explain.....

Hundreds of years ago, the Aztec king, Montezuma, liked the flowers so much that he had them brought into the royal city by the caravan load....they were used as decoration, dye, and a medicinal sap. They grow wild, like weeds by the side of the road in Mexico, and were "discovered" there by a man from my home state, Joel Poinsett, who was the first US ambassador to Mexico. He was so enthusiastic about them that he sent some cuttings and plants home to friends in South Carolina.

We can draw many reminders of our Lord from the poinsettias -- the dark red petals to represent His blood shed for us. Some of the plants are white, and remind us of the sinless Savior Who died and rose again. They are shaped like stars, like the star that pointed the way for the Magi.
I found a legend native to Mexico that was especially poignant, as some of us feel we have so little to give the King of our hearts. Perhaps we feel we have no skills or talents to speak of, or perhaps we feel small because our finances are low, and we cannot give as we wish we could. This legend should cheer us and teach us.....

The legend goes like this: Once there was a little boy named Pablo and his big sister Maria, who lived in a rural village in Mexico. The family was so very poor that often they did not have enough to eat. Christmas was approaching and their village was preparing for lots of festive events. Every year a large creche, or manger scene, was set up in the tiny village church. All of the children in the village were excited and planning to go to visit the baby Jesus, and bring Him a wonderful present.

Maria and Pablo knew that their family had no money to buy a gift for the baby Jesus. Like the others, they wanted to give a wonderful gift to Him, too. Then they had a great idea! Since they had no store-bought gift for the baby, they would pluck some weeds growing beside the road. They thought the weeds could make a soft bed in the manger, for the baby. They were so happy and excited!
They arrived before the others and began placing their weeds in the manger, under and around the figure of the baby Jesus. Just then the other children began arriving. We know that sometimes kids can be inconsiderate and cruel. They began to tease Maria and Pablo and make fun of their gift.
Maria and Pablo were so ashamed and almost burst into tears. Then suddenly, the weeds burst into bright red petals that looked like stars! The flowers were so beautiful that everyone gasped, in awe of their beauty and the miracle that had happened. The weeds had been transformed....

Well, it doesn't take a miracle for us to realize that we are all like those weeds. We can be transformed by God's love. The only gift that God asks us to bring is love. There's nothing wrong with giving and receiving gifts, but the message of Christmas is that God loved us and sent His Son. It's His love that can transform us from scraggly weeds into flowers!

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.  (Titus 3:4-7)

We do not and cannot earn God's love. It's a pure gift. May the poinsettias that we see this Christmas remind us of the love of God that surrounds us all year through!

Happy Christmas Eve to all!