The Reason For the Season

My sister, Valerie, wrote an article for the Beehive Newspaper in Arizona about facing her first Christmas without her husband, Lance.  In it, she recorded a story about Lance's Christmas tie.  I had heard the story before, but this time, it stuck with me in a different way than ever before.  I am sure it has to do with the fact of Lance's unexpected death and also reading it in print right before the season began, but the theme of the story has stayed with me all month and has been the backdrop of most of my thinking related to the holiday this year.

It is a simple story.  Years ago, my mom made a Christmas tie for Lance. He wore it (like the great son-in-law that he is) on Christmas Sundays.  However, he also wore it on Easter.  When asked about wearing a Christmas tie on Easter, he would say something to the effect--"If it weren't for Easter, Christmas wouldn't matter."  Think about that--If not for Easter, Christmas would not matter. 

So this December, I have spent a lot of time thinking about Easter--the last week of Christ's life, the Garden and the Atonement, the walk up to Golgotha, His death, and the triumphant news on that Sabbath morning "He is not here but is risen." Because Jesus did what He promised us He would do, the plan of salvation was completed.  He did rise from the death and win that victory.  Even more important, He atoned for our sins that we may repent (and repent and repent) and change daily as needed and someday return to our Heavenly Parents and our Elder Brother forever.

Then today, in one of the blessings of the Covid-19 pandemic, I was able to listen and watch my sister give a talk about the very things that I had been thinking, but in a much more perfect and beautiful way in her Sacrament Meeting in Mesa, AZ.  What a blessing!  With her permission, I am posting her talk so you all can understand that "If not for Easter, Christmas would not matter." (It will be in the following post.)

Thanks, Lance, for teaching us this important lesson once again.  I hope they have a Christmas tie for you in heaven.