Favorite Christmas Movie

The Bishop's Wife (1947) ranks at the top of our favorite Christmas movies. Episcopal Bishop Henry Brougham (David Niven) ignores his wife (Loretta Young) and daughter as he obsesses over fundraising for a new cathedral. He pleads for divine guidance, and an angel, Dudley (Cary Grant), arrives. That's right… Cary Grant portrays an angel! Ya gotta love it! Abundant humorous moments soar throughout the film.

My husband and I watched it as newlyweds, and the following dialogue inspired our first family tradition.

HENRY BROUGHAM

Tonight I want to tell you the story of an empty stocking. Once upon a midnight clear, there was a child's cry. A blazing star hung over a stable and wise men came with birthday gifts. We haven't forgotten that night down the centuries; we celebrate it with stars on Christmas trees, the sound of bells and with gifts. But especially with gifts. You give me a book; I give you a tie. Aunt Martha has always wanted an orange squeezer and Uncle Henry could do with a new pipe. We forget nobody, adult or child. All the stockings are filled... All that is, except one. And we have even forgotten to hang it up. The stocking for the child born in a manger. It's His birthday we are celebrating. Don't ever let us forget that. Let us ask ourselves what He would wish for most... and then let each

put in his share. Loving kindness, warm hearts and the stretched out hand of tolerance. All the shining gifts that make peace on earth.

Thanks to Bishop Brougham's sermon we hang a stocking for Jesus each year, placed between ours--in the center--to represent how we want Christ in the center of our lives. 

There used to be more stockings--one for each child and pet--but we've gone full circle, empty nesters with three stockings, shown below.  Mine on the left, Kurt's on the right, and the Savior's in the center.

On Christmas Eve, we each fill out a card with a promise (our gift) for the upcoming year--service to others, overcome a bad habit, show more gratitude--and place the gifts in His stocking, removing and reviewing the cards from the previous year. 

A treasured family tradition brought to us by our favorite Christmas movie.