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What? Celebrate Christmas during the pandemic? Hasn’t the coronavirus impacted enough of us already? That is the question.

On Friday December 4, the LightTheWorld calendar showed the following encouragement:

THE CHRIST CHILD
Jesus’s birth brought hope. Watch
The Christ Child, screenshot a
moment that gives you hope, and
share why on social media.

Now this was not an easy choice. There are so many wonderful possible selections one could make: Kneeling at the feet of the small boy. Three wise men offering their gifts. Kingdoms to come, Mankind to save, Worlds without number. How can one picture represent all of that?

So I thought carefully about this exhortation and came up with the following favorite pic. It appears right at the beginning of the video and is not probably the selection you chose. There are so many others: The star in the night. Mary riding the donkey for miles. No room in the inn. The birth of the Child. The shepherds visited by angels in the field. Kneeling before the Christ Child. With all this to choose from, how could I select a picture of a man beginning his work day in a field? It seems simple and unimportant, maybe even sacrilegious when compared to these other choices.

Well, I don’t see it that way, but that is a fair question and deserves a proper explanation. I speak for myself and in no way intend to diminish or look down on the wonderful images of that transcendent night and life-changing experience. In fact, that’s exactly why I love this picture so much. You see, I grew up on a farm and the things we often take for granted today have more meaning because I know what it’s like to do without them. And despite His enormous influence for good and providential mission in behalf of all mankind, He chose to come as a small infant in dire circumstances and live a humble, simple life on the land and work with his hands.

And He suffered challenges on earth so that he could understand my perspective and have empathy and compassion on me. ME!

The Son of the God of heaven and earth and everything that is in them came to earth as a helpless babe in a manger, and though angels testified of Him and stars shone brightly to witness of the birth, He became like me to lift and raise me in my miserable and wretched state. And He did all this for me.

My daughters are in that phase of their lives giving birth to their beautiful children. It is hard. It’s difficult. It is physically and emotionally painful, even to the point that they walk near the shadow of death, but they do it anyway. And my sons love and support their wives and are faithful fathers to their children despite many challenges of our day. And they all do this nonetheless with smiles on their faces and courage in their hearts despite the tremendous challenges.

Joseph cared for Mary and the baby Jesus without the foreknowledge of how it would all work out in the end. His faith carried him through insurmountable challenges.

The gospel of Jesus Christ provides peace and comfort, even joy right now.

What? Celebrate Christmas during the pandemic? Absolutely! We can celebrate the Son of God every day. Maybe that choice is hard, lonely, and has its challenges, but we can do it for Him, because He did all this for us.

There is no question that I will happily and grateful recognize this gift. It is my privilege and yours.

No question at all.

#painofchildbirth
#cryofthebabyjesus
#lighttheworld
#happinessnow
#josephlovedmary
#peaceonearth

The most memorable Christmas on record

It is funny what things are cataloged as memorable in our minds. Most times, the occasions are not what you would expect all along, I suppose. But the unforgettable experiences rise to the top of our recollection. And so it is when I call to mind my most memorable Christmas.

We had big, extended family Christmas parties on my dad’s side of the family when I was a boy. He had three sisters and their families were large just like ours. That’s where I came to know and love my cousins. For the most part, I have great memories of the Christmas dinners and Santa Claus visits. We would get all dressed up for these activities. There were literally dozens of us at these family get-togethers. Though most of my cousins were considerably older than me, they were accepting and friendly and made me feel important and loved. I was a pretty small kid back then, but I always felt included and valued. Most my memories of these parties occurred at Margaret and Lynn’s (aunt and uncle on dad’s side). But I remember that one year we held the event out at the distribution center in south Salt Lake. That year, Kim, Jeff, and I dressed up like Alvin and the chipmunks and performed. These get-togethers have continued off-and-on throughout the years and still happen even today with an annual Stucki Cousins Family Reunion and family website. Santa Claus would make his appearance and distribute gifts to each of us children. I was young enough at the time it was all magical and mysterious. Somehow, I think I knew my Grandma Stucki was behind all of it. One year we did it at our house, and I was the ten-year-old jolly old man.

Mom and dad used to dress me up like Santa when I was a child to deliver the family Christmas gifts to our friends, as well. I’m not sure I really liked doing that, but my family was persuasive and our friends complimentary, so I couldn’t refuse.

Life had been hard for several years and the abundance we were accustomed to diminished some. But though some might say we were in dire straits, we never wanted for the essentials. I think mother and father handled the pressures so it didn’t trickle down to the younger children. Certainly, the other children knew the challenges we were facing, and I’m certain I was not oblivious to the need, but perhaps I did not comprehend the magnitude of our predicament. Castle Valley for us was a fresh start, and it happened to fulfill a life-long dream for my mother and what she and dad wanted for our family. So rather than a rash decision, the move was an answer to countless prayers and one of the great blessings in my life.

We had worked through the summer, and for a good part of that time lived in a tent, but after a while we built and moved into the bunkhouse. That was a lot better. It was down below where it was much cooler during the hot summer. We built a truck top kitchen and started a bathroom facility, so we were moving up in the world. I never thought of it as destitution. It was an amazing adventure and our choice. But when I think about it now, it’s nothing short of amazing that Mom and Dad and all the kids went for it. When school started we found ourselves still living in the bunkhouse. The fall brought cooler nights and eventually freezing temperatures. The cabin home was coming along, but it wasn’t going to be finished by Christmas. Yet as it was completed, the roof was installed, and we had our own shower for the first time in six months (which was wonderful), once we moved into the partially finished home.

We had always had so much for Christmas in years past, but this year was going to be different. Mom and Dad had been giving up everything to secure the farm, build a home, and pay for improvements. It left precious little for gifts. We knew that and had accepted the fact that there would be no Christmas presents this year. We already had so much anyway–perhaps not in worldly measures–but in love, family, good land, food, and the truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Mom and Dad sincerely appreciated the bounty the Lord had given us and taught us to recognize and thank the Lord for all our blessings.

One evening early in December we were sitting in the single heated section of the house, and there was a loud knock at the door. Before we could get up to answer it, a vehicle sped up the snow packed driveway and off into the night. When we did open the door, a large cardboard box sat on the porch. We pulled it inside and opened it. To our surprise, there were presents, and food, and canned hams, and much, much more. That year for Christmas we were the recipients of a sub-for-Santa project and because of others, we ate delicious foods, opened gifts, and thanked an unknown giver for presents we could not have purchased ourselves that year.

I remember that occasion with a good deal of emotion and still don’t know the benefactor. But that is not so unlike all of us that are recipients of gifts we don’t deserve and don’t really warrant on our own.

Everything we have been through, the memories bring back you.