Christmas time is here! All little children are eagerly anticipating the annual visit of Santa and his reindeer. Many girls and boys around the world are expecting gifts aplenty, waiting with wide-eyed excitement while hearing stories of holidays past from doting parents.

In the Christian world we are quick to remind one another the “reason for the season.” But let’s be honest: a majority of the children today know very little of the true meaning of the Christmas celebration. In a world where the woke folks would stop us from saying “Merry Christmas” and replace it with a seemingly more inclusive “Happy Holidays,” (seemingly because the very requirement to change the phrase makes these folks LESS inclusive), it is critically important to teach true knowledge, not just fun fairy tales. 

My sister Tiffany has 4 daughters and has taught rach of them the truth of Christmas. But I want to focus on the love and tradition of her youngest, Sophie. Sophie is 7 years old this year, and suffers from neurofibromatosis, a disorder caused by defective genes that causes tumors to grow in the nervous system. These tumors can grow uncontrollably and result in many associated problems such as blindness, learning disabilities, cognitive impairment and even cancer.

Sophie is a beautiful child with a love for everything! Despite a profound speech impediment, she is very articulate and has a great love for Jesus. Her love is so great for Jesus, in fact, that each year she is adamant about the need to celebrate the birthday of Jesus on Christmas day with a birthday party. She has her mom help her pick out a birthday cake for Jesus in the week leading up to Christmas and Christmas day is celebrated not just with gifts for one another but also with singing of Happy Birthday and a birthday celebration for Christ.

I think it is awesome that this child has a desire to give, to celebrate Christ, and not just to receive gifts! Would that we all taught our children, from an early age, the truth about Christmas! How about a birthday celebration for Jesus on December 25th!