Growing up and experiencing Christmas year after year in my hometown, Bani, I still remember the traditions that we used to observe.

My sister Neomi would invite us to make our own Christmas tree complete with man-made "snow" made of, I believe, a concoction of gawgaw and suds of wheel soap. We would also put up multicolored lights around the tree and decorate our entire home with other beautiful ornaments that we could find. I remember those large red paper bells. I remember the many local festivities surrounding this season, also the bamboo cakes baked in a very special way in my aunt's backyard. As a child and especially during Christmas time or my birthday, I had wished for toys but as I try to recall now, I do not remember receiving toys from anyone. But whatever other gifts I received, I treasured them so much.  This is true when we have less in life, we place so much value in the things, even the little things that we have.

Talking about toys, they are really popular to give to small children. I know that small children as they open their gifts and then see clothes inside instead of toys, their excitement turns into quietness. Give them toys and they are jumping for joy. I remember how my children's toys were easily broken or discarded. A lot of Filipino parents like me cannot help but compare our childhood with our children's. They are so blessed with many toys given not only by us, their parents, but by our relatives and friends. So, it is no wonder that they take the value of these toys for granted. They have no idea that if we received such toys when we were yet children, we would take care of them and they would last long in our possession. Those who have less in life are those who really are careful to value the things, even the little things that they have.

Talking about not receiving toys when I was a child - One time during a Bible study, I talked of the same things that I mentioned above. I said to the group that I did not have toys given to me growing up; that along with my neighbors, we'd create our own makeshift toy cars made of empty sardine cans (the sardine can is the body of our car and then for the wheels we have the empty milk cans of either condensed or evaporated milk.  The key thing that I said is "I did not receive toys".   Several days later after that Bible study while waiting for the elevator in my workplace and thinking how I made clear the point to the group that I was not quite as blessed as our children when I was growing up, that is, no toys received from my parents or anyone else, the Lord spoke to me and said, "You had toys, I gave you toys." Then, God reminded me the things that were given to me by Him - the dragonflies that I would catch, the beetles that I would collect and play with strings and cans, the tadpoles that I'd catch from the ponds, the spiders that would be engaged in "fighting" each other, the fireflies at night, the butterflies, the ants to observe, the goats that I'd take to pasture, the gouramies, the chicks, the dogs, etc. - OH, GOD, You love me so much!"  That's what I said aloud while waiting for the elevator, I did not realize that someone was behind me when I said that. But surely, God said, "You've had a lot of toys!" I just humbled myself for this lack of knowledge for sometime in my life. I did not realize this fact at all until the Lord pointed this out to me. I was humbled by God for making that statement, "I did not receive toys when I was a child." For indeed, HE GAVE. And I failed to get it for years.

As for Christmas, I failed also to get it for many years - why we would celebrate it year after year. Nobody told me clearly the real reason for the season. Surely, there were readings of that night when Jesus was born,in our church. Surely, I sang Christmas carols. But the GOOD NEWS was never really made clear - that salvation has come to the world wasn't really communicated to me.  It would seem that only the merriment mattered, only the festivities mattered, the giving ang receiving of gifts; the midnight mass.the decorations. Yet none of these really spelled the essence of Jesus'coming down from heaven to earth in order to save me from my sins by His grace. That I needed a Savior because I could not save myself and was hell-bound. And this Savior is the One from above sent by the Father as His gift for all mankind.  

God had given me many "toys" during my childhood because He loved me so much. For even as a child, I mattered to Him. He also gave me His own Son that I may have eternal life through faith in Him,  because HE LOVES ME SO MUCH and I am precious to Him.