The First Christmas Card - The Heartbeat of Christmas Part 1
Mailboxes are full during December as friends and families
send cards, pictures and well wishes for a blessed holiday season and greetings
for the New Year. Many send letters with updates on past activities and achievements.
The card industry thrives on holidays and Christmas is one
of the busiest for sales. From
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| Christmas cards are reminders of joy. |
For years, I have displayed the cards we received at
Christmas in a wall hanging designed for that purpose. I still have some from
friends and family with photographs of children and pets or vacation scenes recorded
for the remembrance of fun. Looking back at these mementos is a reminder of the
joy of sharing our lives with each other.
But a message of greater importance than any we have
received from family and friends came to Zacharias, the priest, as he stood
next to the altar and prepared the temple vessels for the ritual of burning of
incense. Outside, people worshipped and prayed waiting for the priest to finish
his duties.
A bright light shone next to the altar and Zacharias trembled
in fear.
A thundering voice said, “Zacharias, do not be afraid. I
bring you good tidings of great joy. Your prayers have been heard and you will
have a son.” Zacharias and Elizabeth’s son would be the forerunner of the
Messiah and prepare men’s hearts to hear the words of repentance and salvation
from the Lord.
Months later the message was broadcast on a hillside in
Bethlehem to shepherds. “Behold, I bring you glad tidings of great joy. The
Savior has been born.” What news could be better than that? Shepherds depend
upon their sheep for their livelihood. If something happens to their flock,
they have no income. Yet, they left the hillside in search of the One the
angels had told them about because the news was so astounding.
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| Sherpherds heard the glad tidings. |
The first Christmas card was mailed from heaven when angels
left the throne of God to bring glad tidings to Zacharias and men watching
their sheep.
Those glad tidings have continued throughout the centuries
and is a Christmas card we can keep forever. It never wears out, fades, gets
old or tears. We wear it with us all year because...the heartbeat of Christmas is glad tidings in a dark world.
Cards can be a way we deliver God’s love to a hurting world.
We can give cards to people we aren’t close to as a way to deliver God’s love
to them. Handing out cards to the homeless, nursing home residents, store
personnel, or neighbors we aren’t familiar with can tell them we care. A card
can become an open door to the gospel. Hurting hearts can be soothed by
receiving a message of glad tidings and a tangible keepsake for the recipient.
What do Christmas cards mean to you?
Tweetable:
The first Christmas card #christmas #holidaycard @barbaralatta (click to tweet)
I love Christmas cards! I look forward to sending them and receiving them each year. What an incredible way to celebrate the birth of our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ. It's a great way to stay connected to loved ones and friends. And, it's always a welcome change from the only other mail that comes in our box: billing statements and solicitations. This year, I'm planning to send more notes and cards through the mail (Yes, I know that it is now referred to as snail mail). It's truly a blessing to reach out to others.
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