Holiday Traditions: My Daddy’s Christmas Poem

Holiday traditions.  Every family has them.  Many are shared, and many are as unique as the people that celebrate them.  As we have traveled and moved our family from one part of the country to another, it is always interesting to hear what other families are doing during the holidays and how those traditions are similar to or different from ours.  And I find it pretty amusing that people are pretty darn curious about what “us Southerners” do as we celebrate, too.

Our family celebrates Christmas as a religious holiday.  Yes, we have Santa and gifts, and all of that fun stuff, but at the heart of all we do, there is Christ.  I know not everyone chooses to celebrate it the same way that we do. Themes of hope, and joy, peace, and promise that is Christmas are at the core of what we celebrate at this time of year.

About 12 years ago, my Dad composed a Christmas poem to send out to friends, family, and a few business contacts rather than the traditional Christmas card.  I don’t think he intended on making a tradition of it that first year.  He had words that were laid on his heart and felt compelled to share them with those that were close to him.  And we loved it.  This has become his tradition and gift to us and I look forward to reading the words that he puts together each year.

I received this year’s poem earlier this week and knew that I needed to share it with you.  He has once again captured the meaning of Christmas and I hope that you are encouraged by his words.

“My Christmas Prayer”
By: Jimmy Adams
December 4, 2013

Oh, Lord, may I see you more clearly this year,
As we celebrate the day you were born.
Oh, Lord, may I greet others with joy and good cheer,
When I wake up on this Christmas morn.

Oh, Lord, may your Spirit inhabit my life,
And guide me in my daily walk.
Oh, Lord, guard my thoughts and my actions each day,
And protect my words whenever I talk.

Oh, Lord, may I be an encouragement
To those I encounter each day.
And Lord, may I share with my friends, who are lost,
That you are The Light and The Way.

Lord, you are God in the flesh, who was born in a manger,
And you came here to dwell among men.
You died on a cross, and you rose from the dead,
And one day you are coming again.

Oh, Lord, may I never forget all my life,
May I remember your great love with joy.
Now there is hope for a future free of all strife,
From the birth of a small baby boy.

Little Man, Pop, & CurlyQ

Little Man, Pop, & Curly Q

Jennifer Collins

About Jennifer Collins

Jennifer is a mom with a day job and she likes to write about her victories and messes along the way. She is living an adventurous life as a Georgia transplant learning to thrive in Maine, with a strong Southern accent that screams that she is "from away" and a new-found love for lobster rolls and timely snow plows. Jennifer's writing has been featured on BlogHer, iVillage Australia, Daddy Doin' Work, and Mamapedia.