Don’t you just love candy canes? They’re my favorite Christmas treat. I have a basket of them hanging on the banister near our front door. I noticed this morning that lots of elves ate some this weekend so I need to refill my supply.
These sweet holiday treats have become a tradition in our family to remind us of the real meaning of Christmas – Jesus!
Each year we talk about how the candy cane can help us focus on Christ at Christmas. It’s shaped like a shepherd’s staff to remind us that the Lord is our Shepherd. Upside down, it’s the letter J for Jesus. The red stripes can remind us that Jesus shed his blood for us on the cross and the white symbolizes his holiness. The scent of the candy is like hyssop, an herb used in Biblical times for healing to remind us that Jesus is our healer. The candy cane is sweet and meant to be broken and shared, just like Christ’s body was broken for us.
We put this description on small pieces of green paper and tie them to several dozen candy canes to give to the postman, bus drivers, neighbors, family and friends. It’s a great way to share the sweet Truth of Christmas wrapped in a candy cane.
Today’s Give-Away Winner for my “Unwrapping His Christmas Presence” cd is Pattie vz. Pattie, please email me your address so we can send your gift.
And if you’d like to be part of this weeks drawing, read last night’s post below, “The Gift of Listening” to find out more. Merry Christmas!
Our pastor talked this past weekend about giving gifts based on 1 thes 5:12-14
Show respect to someone who deserves it but does not get it often enough, give the gift of Peace to someone who is not experiencing so much right now, Encourage the timid, even warn the idle(bathed in love, of course), help the weak, Be patient with someone, Refuse to retaliate. against a wrong.
He left a blank next to each one on our program insert so that we could fill out a name and give them this gift during Christmas.
It was a great reminder of how gifts can be so much more than something you buy at the mall.
We love putting candy canes in our hot chocolate. YUM!