Christmas Reflection: The Significance of Stuffed Animals and Jesus

Readings for the Nativity of Our Lord: http://www.usccb.org/nab/122506a.shtml
Isaiah 9: 1-6
Psalm 96
Titus 2: 11-14
Luke 2: 1-14

I don’t remember all the toys and bountiful gifts of Christmas past. I really only remember one—a toy stuffed dog, named Clem. I was three-years-old when I received him. Most of my gifts came from “Santa,” but I distinctly remember my Mom telling me that Clem was a gift from my dad.

I think I intuitively understood the significance of this gift over the others. Santa was a good and generous guy, but my Dad was far more special. His gift reminded me that he loved me and was thinking of me, even when he was away on one of his many business trips. I carried this dog everywhere, and my mother re-stitched his ears and strengthened his seams many, many times. According to my older siblings, Clem was always undergoing “surgery.” Wherever I was, Clem was close by.

I am sure my Dad was not expecting that I would carry Clem everywhere, but Clem offered a sense of security for me—knowledge that I was loved even when I could not see my dad or be near him. Like my father giving me a gift to signify his love, our heavenly Father does the same. At Christmas we remember the birth of Christ, not just as a historical event, but also as the ongoing act of God’s love for us. Jesus is an intimate gift of love for everyone. We are to carry the love of Christ within our hearts everywhere we go, just like a little child who carries a teddy bear with ease.

For adults, carrying the love of Jesus in our hearts sounds like an obviously great idea. Who wouldn’t want to experience the joy that comes from such love? Unfortunately, bringing ourselves to accept such a gift takes real effort. The old maxim, “It’s not as easy as it sounds,” rings true. For those of us who have memories of conditions being placed on love or it being inappropriately given, we might find it truly difficult to bring ourselves to accept the gift. We somehow assume that all of the qualifications and restrictions for love defined by other people in our lives are the same ones God places on us. Often times, if we do not feel like we are meeting the expectations of love, then our relationship with God suffers, and quite possibly the relationships with our loved-ones do too. Christmas—the celebration of the incarnation of God—can then become a time of pain instead of joy and happiness.

The scriptures for Christmas tell a different story of love, one that is unconditional and full of liberation and joy. As it is written in Isaiah, “You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing, as they rejoice before you as at the harvest, as people make merry when dividing spoils. For the yoke that burdened them, the pole on their shoulder, and the rod of their taskmaster you have smashed, as on the day of Midian.” The birth of Christ and the message Jesus preached is meant to help lesson the burdens people experience. We just have to be open to the messages and the love God gives.

Christmas is exciting for children because of all the presents. We might shower our children too much with toys and things they won’t remember when they are adults, but their enthusiasm and willingness to accept the gifts and love people share is especially heartwarming. We should take a lesson from them on how to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas.

JoEllen Windau