“Jesus is the Reason for the Season” has long been a familiar Christmas phrase. I’d like to share a short personal story from before I knew Jesus, showing how that statement became meaningful in my life.

For many years, Christmas was simply a time to eat, drink, and be merry—a reason to party. I celebrated without understanding or caring about what I was truly celebrating. To me, it was just about indulging in food and drinks, receiving gifts, being with family and hearing stories about a fat old man and his reindeer.

During this period, God had been speaking to me, trying to get my attention through His ‘Still Small Voice’ (1 Kings 19:12 “And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.” KJV)

Despite His efforts, I remained distracted by the festivities and my own desires. It took several years and some significant losses before I finally began to listen. One by one, the things I valued slipped away—my business was gone, my Chevy sport pickup was gone, my snowmobile was gone, my house was gone, and most painfully, my family was gone.

It was at Christmas, during loss, God revealed the true ‘Reason for the Season’ to me. This time, I was attentive. I came to understand that Christmas was not about me and what I could receive, nor was it solely about family. Christmas is all about Jesus. What I truly needed was a personal relationship with Him. This realization was a profound wake-up call and the greatest Christmas gift I could ever receive. Alone, broken, repentant, I experienced the Best Christmas Ever.

– Milton Torio, FEBC global partner with Tabita Ministries.

(Used by permission from http://www.febcmissions.com)