When I was a kid, Christmas was my favorite day of the year. I’d wake up before sunrise, run down the hall, bang on my older brother’s door, run the other way and jump into my parents’ bed. It was the unbearably exciting, knowing that in the other room a plethora of Star Wars action figures were just begging me to open them.

Later we would all pile in the car and drive to my Mema’s house for an extended family celebration. Of course all the kids would get more gifts (Hot Wheels galore!), but the part that I never paid much attention to as a child was Mema reading the story of Jesus’ birth to the entire family. Well I’m 23 now and at the last family Christmas, Mema was still there reading to all of my baby cousins.

Of course as a kid, I only cared about presents. But now as my faith in God has matured, I’ve really started noticing how many adults continue to be focused on the gift opening aspect of Christmas. Call me old-fashioned, but I think we need to shift our attention from what’s under the tree, to why we celebrate in the first place.

Christmas time should be about thanking God for everything you have been given. Thanking him for your gifts, your home, your family, and for sending his Son to die for us all, and for sticking with us when we deserve Him least. I am blessed beyond reason to have been raised in a Christ-centered home. I thank God everyday for my caring family, amazing fiancée, and allowing me to go to a university like TCU. That’s what I think people should do every day, and especially on Christmas.

I know for some that Christmas can be depressing. Perhaps it reminds them of lost loved ones or happier times that have since disappeared. A reliance on God could carry people through these rough periods. He knows what you’re going through and wants you to put your faith in Him that you will make it through with the Holy Spirit by your side.

As college students, we need to remember what the “C” in TCU stands for. There’s no better place to witness to those around us than a college campus. Many students are still learning about themselves and deciding what kind of life to live. Christmas is the perfect time to start making a Christly impact in the lives of others. As cheesy, overused, and cliché as it sounds, I really do think it is the reason for the season.

Justin White is from Richland Hills. He is a senior broadcast journalism major and news director of News Now.