Once again this year, TBS is running back to back showings of “A Christmas Story” all the way from 8pm on Christmas Eve until 8pm on Christmas Night.

I love that movie.

I think my favorite part is when the father gets his “major award” in the great big box.  He reads the word “fragile”, stamped across the front, as if it were something exotic, written in Italian.

“Frageelay”, he exclaims in awe, forever changing the way I pronounce that word.

Indeed, as gifts go it was pretty exotic and pretty fragile. It was, of course, the infamous leg lamp.

It looked glorious, shining there in the living room.

When I think of fragile things, I’m reminded of another Christmas story.  The first one.

The first Christmas gift was fragile, too.

Two fragile little legs (not just one).

Two arms, two hands.  Eyes and nose.  Hands and feet.

Tiny, vulnerable.  Frageelay.

Strange, isn’t it?  God sends a savior who is so tiny and weak.  Barely able to lift his head up.

The Son of God, come to save us, yet so easily broken.

Why? Why send such a fragile gift?

Well, there is a certain kind of excitement and gentleness that comes with fragile things.

A reminder to handle with care.

In the movie “A Christmas Story”, the lamp was eventually broken, shining no more.

As for the real Christmas story?

It turns out that Jesus was, indeed, fragile.

He was broken for us…

But MERRY CHRISTMAS friends,

because the light of Christ shines FOREVER!

Merry Christmas,

Mitch