Christmas Eve

Well, it's here. Christmas Eve.  We just got done wrapping the presents. It's been a busy, busy day... sort of like the whole year.  We're getting ready to go to church because *gasp* Cory & Rhia are lighting the advent candles.  Yes, you read that right, Cory.  I don't believe Cory has set foot in church for at least 5 years.  But this means the world to his sister so he's going to do it.  We were asked to light the candles the first year we officially joined the church.  They wanted us to light them Christmas Eve.  Unfortunately, they wanted us to light them there... and not in California, which is where we were.  Ugh, we were devastated.  We had gotten baptised together, all four of us, at the beginning of that December.  It would have been lovely to also light the candles but it was also lovely that someone else had the honor that year.

Trouble is, they never asked again.  Until this year.  The Youth Director sent an email to Rhia asking for her and Cory.  Cory.  Oh dear.  Now it's not that Cory isn't a believer, quite the contrary.  He has a natural faith that is remarkable.  Unfortunately, it's not in church or Christianity.  He really turned against organized religion a few years ago due to a succession of what he considered hypocritical Christians... don't get him started.  It's sad because although I have trouble with organized religion and/or the church, I love for our family to go to church together.  Especially at Christmas.

Long before we officially joined the church, we would bundle up our little sweethearts and take them to church Christmas Eve to get a piece of Jesus' birthday cake.  I would love to hear them sing the Christmas carols, they knew every word.  We had taught them about Jesus, God... and Buddha, Karma, Taoism... we wanted them to decide what they believed. And so they did.  But as I tell my wonderful son over and over, I never expected him to throw the baby out with the bathwater, so to speak.  In other words, you cannot judge Jesus by Christian's actions.  Unfortunately, the reflection is not always accurate.  We are human.

But tonight he will come to church.  And he will light the candles.  And he will make his family very, very happy. 

It's a lovely Christmas eve.  Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!