I'm merrily readying myself for the most joyous of times and suddenly I'm overcome with nostalgia and feel homesick, for a lifetime of familiarity for Christmas, when all of us were on the same page. The merchants, the city planners, the homes (inside and out), the factory packaging, the labels, the signs heralding Christmas all over the place.
And the music!...no grannies run over by reindeer ditties but what we called real Christmas music. Christmas carols which were actually hymns, and sentimental heart tugging ballads like- Blue Christmas, I'll be home for Christmas, I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas- all of which tug at my heart still. Radio stations and stores that played a month of real Christmas music. Downtown loudspeakers played Christmas music. Music celebrating and focusing on the birth of the Savior. The Hallelujah Chorus and other songs from the Messiah were heard frequently.
Schools had Christmas programs, complete with hymns and sometimes scriptures read. Community choirs put on Christmas concerts. Dance recitals had a Christmas theme.
Tonight I was so bothered by SS having gorgeous big snowflakes attached to each lamppost. I did not see one thing related to Christmas. Granted it was dark but I was gawking and straining to see.
At the grocery store, I said to the woman affixing discount tags to something on the end displays, at the check out line,
....I just traveled the full length of your town and there is absolutely nothing celebrating Christ. It's all snowflakes....
she looked puzzled and then trying to appease me said....well, there is a star and a display on a Church down the street....
I said... well, I'd hope so but what about your town itself? I like to see Christ in Christmas....
she said...Things aren't like they used to be... and went back to her pricing!
Then I asked the young man, that was going to check me out, and as I framed my same question, I realized it was a young woman, that replied...
Times have changed. $8.72 please...
I said...but I'm Christian and I miss it. Don't you?...
her reply...It's okay.
Frustrated the life out of me. I drove home and drove down my own center street and it's a variety of bells, Santa's, candy canes, street lamps, and what I thought looked like a star hung on our lampposts. The City Hall has a lit Snowman outline holding up the wall. The lit silhouette of 3 reindeer, pulling an appropriately empty sleigh on the edge of the graveyard, just made me question how far things have deteriorated from what used to be.
I have Happy Holidays, Winter Wonderland, Season Greetings pushed at me and never a mention of Christmas and yet it's perfectly acceptable to have signage, greetings, appropriate gifts all connected with the celebration of Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. Why is okay to use those terms and what they stand for and what they are celebrating as religious events and yet Christmas is banned?
True. I am soapboxing. but it's just so sad to me and so maddening at the same time. 2 years ago my feelings started to build. A clerk told me happy holidays and I told her that just doesn't work for me. It's Merry Christmas.
I then started looking for signs in nearby cities of Christmas decorations and really got down. Our new Church house was being built and in the midst of my blues, the builders put the name on our Church! I was ecstatic. I felt like the Savior was now represented in our town.
I was struck by the largeness of the sign and how prominent the name Jesus Christ was. I didn't remember seeing that on other LDS Churches and realized I'd not really been around that many. I felt the sign didn't look like the one on the building we were meeting in. It looked more like a Missionary nametag. I felt like the Church had a nametag on!! I compared the tags the Elders wore. Then went over to the Toppenish Church and looked at that name. Totally different in design!
It hit me that the General Church had picked things up a notch. Not letting the Church name fade into the background and be rather nondescript in how it looked and where it was placed but making it very clear and bold. Leaving no doubt to anyone that read it.
My friend, Myra Faye, knowing of my frustration, called and told me to come over and I'd feel better in looking at her garage! this is what I found!
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| There are still believers in the world that state their convictions!! |
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| This is the Toppenish building. No wonder I was caught off guard with the new sign below!! |
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| This is the day that my heart soared with happiness. December 2009 |
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| I have never entered a photography contest and therefore have never won a prize!! |
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