Candy Cane Lines

It’s that time of year again—time to gather with loved ones to catch up and celebrate the Savior’s birth, and if you know me, it’s time to catch that perfect shot for my themed Christmas card. In more recent years, I’ve made a shift. Instead of a card created with photos of me and my children, I now include snapshots with my grandkids. And if you know kids, you know that getting that perfect shot is next to impossible. So, I’ve shifted my thinking too. Now I strive to catch that perfect imperfect shot. It certainly makes for less stress, and who can’t use a little more peace this time of year. This year’s theme is the candy cane (in case you didn’t catch that already), and it seems the confection got its start for that very reason—peace. 

According to The Legend of the Candy Cane that dates back more than 350 years, mothers used white sugar sticks as pacifiers for their babies. Around 1670 the sticks were bent into canes to represent a shepherd’s staff and were used to keep the attention of small children during Christmas church services. At the turn of the 20th century, the red stripe was added, along with the peppermint and wintergreen flavors.

Legend says a candymaker in Indiana developed the candy cane as a witness of Christ’s love. The candy cane’s unique shape serves a two-fold purpose in reminding us of Jesus. Turned one way, it represents a shepherd’s staff. Shepherds were the first to find out about Jesus’ birth (Luke 2:8-20). Turned the other way, the cane resembles the letter J—for Jesus. (And you thought the monogram on my card was a typo, didn’t you?)

The red stripes remind us of why Jesus came to earth in the first place. Before His death on the cross, He was brutally beaten. The prophet Isaiah says, “By His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). The candy cane lines symbolize the suffering and shed blood of Christ.

The white part of the candy is symbolic too. When we accept Christ’s forgiveness and the sacrifice He made on our behalf, our sins are washed away, making us white and pure as snow (Isaiah 1:18).

I gave my grandkids wrapped candy canes to hold in the photo and promised they could eat them later. They were having such a hard time waiting—their tongues were hanging out!

God promises eternal life to all who believe on Jesus as Lord and Savior. His ultimate gift is held out to you. And just like you can’t enjoy a candy cane until you unwrap it, you can’t enjoy God’s gift until you open it. Unwrap the gift. And taste and see how indescribable it is (Psalm 34:8, 2 Corinthians 9:15).

Then don’t keep it to yourself. Be like the shepherds who spread the good news (Luke 2:17). Invite others to partake. Hold out the gift like a candy cane, begging to be unwrapped.

Wishing you all the sweetness of Christmas and praying that grace and peace be multiplied to you in the coming year!

Love,

Desiree

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¹ Walburg, Lori, and James Bernardin. The Legend of the Candy Cane.  Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Pub., 1997. Print.