First Gifts of Christmas

“Behold there came, Wisemen from the East…saying where is he that is born? For we have seen his star in the East and have come to worship him…..And when they saw the young child with Mary, his mother, they fell down and worshipped him; and when they opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”

Have you ever wondered why the first gifts of Christmas included not one, but two, perfumes? Gold, frankincense and myrhh…..the gifts were the most valuable commodities of the ancient world. Gold, used then and now as money and adornment; and frankincense and myrhh, used as perfume, for religious ritual and for embalming. If seen only literally, these gifts make little sense. What would a baby do with a bit of gold and some pieces of resin?

Frankincense and myrrh are both resins hardened from the sap of trees. They are the living essence, the life force, of the tree distilled into a fragrant bit of material. Since ancient times, this life force has been used as the basis of perfumes and in religious ceremonies because the living vibration assists in opening the mind and heart. The Wise Men were giving the Christ Child the gift of a substance that would assist him in becoming what he was born to be: a living god. In the ancient world there was an understanding that these substances were not primarily about ‘smelling good’; they were a tool to raise consciousness.

Frankincense and myrrh are still used today in perfumes and incense and it is still a tradition to give wonderful perfumes to loved ones during the Christmas season. When chosen wisely, these gifts of perfume can be a source of joy and provide comfort and protection each day of the year. And it is not too much to hope that they can also help us become what we were meant to be.

There are moments when a song you’ve heard many times before suddenly speaks to you in a new way. Earlier this week, my Ipod ‘accidentally’ flipped to a song by Alison Krauss called “Get Me Through December.”

The first time I heard this song was just before the first Christmas season without my sister, who had died earlier that year of cancer. I had spent 11 months on a downhill trajectory, and by that December, I was praying for something, anything, to get me through. At that time, the song spoke to me of my sadness; the hopeful part, the desire to start again that is the essence of the song, did not even resonate. I listened to the song over and over, focusing mainly on the first stanza, which speaks of preparing for the long winter ahead, and the coldness of loss. The stanza ends with the line, “Faith can move mountains, of that I am sure…just get me through December, so I can start again.” At that point I was not sure about faith, or about wanting to start again. It was Christmas, and the belief that I was supposed to be happy and joyful made me feel guilt on top of the deep sadness. I just wanted December, and the Christmas season, to be over.

This week when I heard the song again, I understood that it is about the profound hope that can come after a long winter of pain. This past year has been a challenging one for many, and for us as a nation. I wonder how many are struggling through the holiday season with false gaiety, just hoping to make it through December. To start again.

Listening to the song this time, the second stanza stood out in bold relief: “No divine purpose brings freedom from sin, and peace is a gift that must come from within.” Good intentions are not enough, and peace comes from an inner knowing, an understanding of who we really are. The song reminded me of something I had forgotten in the aftermath of my sister’s death: that we must go within, and that perhaps it is even more important to do so when we face crisis, and during this hectic season. I’ve been listening to it over and over as a form of meditation on faith, the season and hope. The beauty of the melody, the piano and violin instrumentals, and especially Alison Krauss’s ethereal voice, clear as a winter sky….the song takes you from the depths of loss to hope, and finally, sets the heart soaring. It then brings the listener down to earth gently, ready to start again.

In this week of Thanksgiving, many of us are appreciating the special relationships we have that inspire us to reach our greatest potential.

We recently introduced you to Lucy, our Shih Tzu, because she inspires us every day. Lucy is ten pounds of courage and integrity….she seems to feel her ‘job’ is to guard us, her family, against any and all intruders. I have seen Lucy cause a 90 pound lab to cower in a corner with his tail between his legs! She lives a Big Dog Life in a little dog body, and I think we can all be like that.

There is something much larger within us than we usually acknowledge; and if we consciously align with that larger part of ourselves, our lives will be transformed. Thanksgiving is about noticing and appreciating the abundance that we have available to us both within and without; and realizing, like Lucy, that we can live a life that is large in spirit.

Happy Thanksgiving!