My Mormon Third Eye: I See... The Year Christmas Didn't Come From a Store

Sunday, December 26, 2010

I See... The Year Christmas Didn't Come From a Store

Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store.
"Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!"

The Grinch, in the Grinch that Stole Christmas, 1966

Many Christmas traditions are enduring and meaningful; others are superficial and unxplained. I know one family that shaves their cat every Christmas; another family holds a Charlie Brown Christmas dance concert.. For many families, Christmas traditions involve an assault on the mall and countless hours making cookies and addressing mountains of Christmas cards. For these families, trying to cram too much tradition into too little time makes Christmas a blur of doing anything except pondering productively about the Savior's birth and what it should mean to us.

I know one family that decided together that for them, Christmas this year would not come from a store. There were no presents underneath the tree, no cards sent out, and no choreographed Christmas parties. Except for a few small trinkets that fit into Christmas stockings, the only gifts they gave to each other was time; time spent together bonding in Orlando's theme parks. For them, Christmas means a little bit more.

On Christmas Eve they gathered around the rented condo coffee table and read the story of the Savior's birth from the second chapter of Luke. There is nothing more powerful and inspiring than the gift of family. Heavenly Father's gift to the human family, his Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, was the greatest of them all.

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The Mormon Third Eye Quote of the Week

"As men of the priesthood, we have an essential role to play in society, at home, and in the Church. But we must be men that women can trust, that children can trust, and that God can trust. In the Church and kingdom of God in these latter days, we cannot afford to have boys and men who are drifting. We cannot afford young men who lack self-discipline and live only to be entertained. We cannot afford young adult men who are going nowhere in life, who are not serious about forming families and making a real contribution in this world. We cannot afford husbands and fathers who fail to provide spiritual leadership in the home."

Elder D. Todd Christofferson
Priesthood Session Conference, October 2012

Why My Mormon Third Eye?

When I politely excused myself in the middle of dinner to make a bathroom stop, how did Mom know that I had uneaten peas in my pocket to flush down the toilet? When I came home late from a youth dance and slid quietly into bed to avoid waking parental units, how did Dad know, without looking at the car, that I smashed in the front bumper? When I watch my daughter play a video game, how do I know that she's not ready for her Geometry final?

Its the Third Eye. The notorious eye in the back of the head, the extra view of life that God blesses parents striving to do the right thing so they can see more of life than the children they chase after.

Our third eye also permits us to see things and feel emotions that are too refined, too far on the edge of our standard two-eyed peripheral vision to enjoy in its fullness. I've learned that I have a Mormon Third Eye; that is, as a life-long, fully-dedicated member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I have unique perspective on how the doctrines of the gospel and the demands of my faith in them intersect every other part of my mortal existence to create the entertaining, self-deprecating kaleidoscope of my life.

So... for those of you bold and bored enough to read this far, every so often I'll be sharing here what my Mormon third eye sees. Third eyes are relatively huge; they see the humorous, the entertaining, the embarrassing, the beautiful, the inspirational, and even the moral and political; however, they tend to ignore the evil, depressing and destructive: there is enough of that in world already!

The Four Secrets to Successful Living

Always Go Where There is Free Food - This includes ward and work parties, wedding receptions and missionary open houses; the money you spend to buy the ingredients for the world-famous triple chocolate cake you bring doesn’t count.
Never Pay Full Price for Anything – See my posts on Black Friday escapades for more information on this.
Never, Ever Press the Red Button - Usually, if you are faced with a red button somewhere, don’t press it – it usually means trouble. For example, the red button launches the missiles. Do yourself a favor and don’t press it.
Any Problem You Face Can Be Solved With Bungee Cords and Duct Tape - Bungee cord and duct tape technology has saved many marriages and ward parties. I’m not just talking about problems with plumbing or keeping groceries from bouncing around the trunk; I know of relationship and family issues that have been solved with creative applications of these two substances.