If I take a simple walk with the Ghost of Christmas Past, I may be able to see a small little girl writing down the toys she wanted for Christmas. Carefully placing each ornament on the perfectly arranged tree, she wondered in her mind whether or not she was going to get a visit from dear old Mr. Claus. A collection of candy canes around a village of gingerbread houses. Presents stacked below the tree. Stockings bulging with goodies and hanging around the fireplace. Everything was right where it was supposed to be.

However, if you’ve ever watched any sort of Christmas movie, you’ll come to understand that the heavily anticipated holiday is not the celebration of receiving, but of giving. Not only that, but it is the time to take joy in the company of friends and family while reflecting the year that has passed.

While gift giving and being surrounded by friends is of course a great part of Christmas, it’s not what people are intended to celebrate. Look at the root of the word…. Christ. We can all think of a group of elderly ladies who are constantly chanting, “Keep Christ in Christmas!” The notion is an annual issue that arises each year when the majority of celebrators are not actually aware of the purpose of the great holiday and what festivity they are participating in.

A closer look will reveal the real gift that was given on this magnificent night—the gift of Christ, a sacrifice for our sins and leader for all those willing to follow. The second chapter of the book of Luke tells the famous story of the birth of Jesus. Mary and Joseph search for a place to stay, but could only find shelter in a manger. There, the Lord Jesus was brought into this world, forever changing the history of Christianity. No sign of a large man in red. No reindeer or snowmen. Just the miracle of the most precious gift our Father gave His children.

As I walk hand in hand with Charles Dicken’s fictitious character, I contemplate what illusive story the Ghost of Christmas Future may reveal to me. What will come of the beloved holiday if the true meaning is eliminated from our houses? What if the glorious songs of worship are only sung about an imaginative man with a red coat, and fits that are thrown over unwanted presents? This is the vision I imagine with the removal of Christ from Christmas. It’s not exactly what would be in a holiday classic.

It wasn’t until much later in life that I came to this realization. The sparkle in my young eyes of a magical day with tinsel and toys slowly grew into tears of admiration and ultimate gratitude for the kind of gift you can’t unwrapped. So, take a look around. Don’t look at the stockings, the tree or even the snow on the ground. Look at your life as a whole and imagine for a second what it would be like if God had not granted us the opportunity of salvation and guidance through Jesus. The overwhelming and spectacular love that was poured out on the day of Christ’s birth continuously leave Christians speechless each holiday season.

Now I urge you to grasp the hand of the Ghost of Christmas Present and carefully piece together the parts that put the Christ back in Christmas.