I am kicking off the month of December on the blog in order to get the cynicism out of the way early. The sad truth of it is that I am tired of Christmas. Truly, I am. I know that the first thing that jumps to a mind upon hearing this are visions of a withered Ebenezer Scrooge who just has not learned his lesson. But I assure you that I am no Scrooge and you will never hear me say, "Humbug."
Just remember, there is a point to all of this. Don't read halfway and write me off as an anti-Christmas terrorist or something. Hang with me until the end.
I love the joy of the holidays. The lead up to Thanksgiving is one of my most favorite times of year. Thanksgiving itself is my favorite holiday. There is joy and togetherness. Food - and the smell of it - is everywhere. Most of the time Thanksgiving finds me surrounded by family and sharing things for which we are thankful. When you couple these things with a few days off to enjoy leftovers and football, you get a near-perfect holiday experience.
We choose to decorate for Christmas after Thanksgiving, like God intended (j/k). Every year we go and pick out a live tree together as a family. We have vaulted ceilings, so we like to get a 10-12 foot Christmas tree. We bring it home, put it up, and one of the boys helps me to string the lights while my wife makes potato soup and snacks. When the lights are on, I sit and watch Erin and the kids put on all of the ornaments. And things are peaceful. And the Christmas season has arrived with joy.
Except when it doesn't.
Except when money is tighter than it has been in years and Christmas trees are significantly more expensive than the year before. When the options come down to getting a small tree or no tree, and even the small tree is pushing the bank account toward zero, the joy doesn't seem to flow as freely. When the weather is much too warm and ridiculously rainy, the magic of decorating for Christmas loses its luster. When the bank account reaches zero, the ingredients for snacks are unable to be purchased, and traditions are left waiting for better times, it is hard to maintain a spirit of frivolity.
And I get that these are first world problems, but hey, we live in a first world country. I've lived here my entire life. When you are used to things operating a certain way, and the circumstances force you to change, it can be tough. And I don't like change all that much, so the past few weeks have been a burden.
But there is so much more to go. The real reason I am tired of Christmas is it has become synonymous with being busy and broke. If you could see my schedule for December, you would be shocked. Or rather, you probably wouldn't be because I bet most people can relate to this being the busiest time of the year. Everyone wants to do everything all at once. It is almost as if we suddenly realize that a new year is coming and we want to squeeze 48 weeks of socializing into the last four weeks of the year.
The season that is supposed to be about joy, love, peace, giving, and Christ, becomes something else entirely. We go, go, go with reckless abandon. Nearly every day brings a new party, a new gift to purchase, a new event, a new obligation, or a new expense. The desire to be "in the spirit of the holidays" leads many to the point of being overworked and having overspent.
If you or someone you love is in ministry, then you also know the stress of additional church services, obligatory church-related parties and gatherings, extra practices for plays/concerts, and hoping that in all of the gift-giving people remember to give some to Jesus as well.
Okay, I admit, this is a little Scrooge-like after all.
But we know the holiday season is nearly two months of flat-out full-speed ridiculousness. They make songs and movies about it for goodness sake! But we don't listen. Parents stress about what to get their kids. We remind them that Santa doesn't love rich kids more, there are just other reasons why some kids will get $1,000 gifts and some receive $5 gifts. We want to make Christmas the happiest that we can for our kids, but that usually seems to ultimately depend on what we can put under the tree.
And I'm tired. Thanksgiving has no gift pressure and very few financial restraints. There are not a million Thanksgiving parties one has to attend (and bring a small gift to each one!). There aren't Thanksgiving plays and concerts and extra services and long lines at stores and noise, noise, noise, noise, noise!
Sorry, I slipped into Grinch mode for a second.
And then I was reminded by a co-worker that there is no season on thankfulness. Paul says, "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you" (1 Thess. 5:18). The problem isn't with the Christmas season. The problem is with me. Just because our culture misses the mark when it comes to celebrating, doesn't mean that I have to.
I can quickly become the person who gives thanks on Thanksgiving, and then goes out on a rampage while Black Friday shopping. I can do Thanksgiving like a saint, but then lose it like Donald Duck the moment my schedule or bank account takes a hit. But my having a grateful and thankful spirit is God's will for my life. And for yours, too.
Yes, Christmas is busy. Yes, there is immense societal pressure to commercialize every aspect of Christmas. Yes, churches and schools and employers seem to kick it into overdrive and monopolize the holiday calendar. But you don't have to over spend and you don't have to over commit. Those are choices.
Christmas is truly about Jesus being made lower than the angels. Christmas is a reminder that it was fitting for Christ - the maker and sustainer of all things - to be made perfect through suffering. Christmas bursts onto the scene and screams the Good News that God Himself chose to visit us in our afflictions, to partake in them, and then to author our salvation Himself. Christmas ought to overwhelm us with the thought that Christ is not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters (check out Hebrews 2:7-15).
So, if the season threatens to drown your goodwill, take a moment to reflect on what it is truly all about. The God Who made you and sustains you loves you beyond your wildest imaginations. And that is true regardless of what you put under a tree, into an offering envelope, or on your calendar. The change of perspective is profound.
Don't get caught slipping into the shoes of old Scrooge and don't let your heart shrink to the size of the Grinch. At least, don't be like them in the beginning of their stories. Remember the meaning of Christmas and the command to be thankful. You'll find that dollar signs and party times shrink in significance as your heart swells with gratitude and thanks.
Merry Christmas!
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