Christmas Time
Have you ever felt that at times in your life nothing seems to go as planned? God asks you to follow Him and wholly surrender and in doing so, you become convinced that life isn’t going to work out how you planned or things in your life will “never be the same”. To be honest, I’ve felt that way pretty often this past year. For me, this feeling has been and is worse at certain times of the year.
Well last night in bed, I was thinking of Christmas. Actually I was thinking of the commercial Christmas. The perfect ham and potatoes dinner. The perfect family that you see on t.v., the ones that never have any problems. Hot chocolate and a fire blazing in the hearth. The multiple, huge gifts that endlessly surround the Christmas tree. The tiny box hidden way in the corner behind the Christmas tree that holds the most special gift for that one most special person. Santa going around to all the little boys and girls and giving them exactly what they asked for. Snow softly falling; making the world outside your window a quiet, winter wonderland. Family gathering on Christmas morning; their faces filled with anticipation and wonder… I thought about all of this and wondered about the people who didn’t have all that, who didn’t think they had a reason to celebrate this special time of the year. I realized that although this commercial Christmas was filled with happiness, joy, and wonder, there was something even more special to celebrate. Jesus Christ’s birth.
Now, I know that most of you probably celebrate Jesus’ birth in some way, shape, or form, but is that really the main focus in Christmas? Does your heart celebrate the most beautiful and wonderful event ever or are you more exited about the lights, the holly, receiving the gift you have been waiting for all year? I’m not saying that you should never receive presents, go shopping, or give gifts to other people to express your love or friendships to them, those are all good things. But Christmas should not be about spending, but giving. There’s a difference…think about it. I really hope that you do not feel guilty or condemned about all that went on yesterday, but my heart was really challenged in it’s thinking and I wanted yours to be challenged as well.
Last night, I came up with this conclusion about Christmas. Christmas is…
C – Celebrating Christ as the center of our
H – hearts and homes, while
R – realizing that if Christ hadn’t come down as a babe to grow up, just to die for you and me, it would be
I – impossible for us to live, to love, or have eternal life.
S – Santa gives to many on one night a year, but Christ gives to all young and old, rich and poor, believing and unbelieving, beautiful and ugly, deserving and undeserving…every day of every lifetime. Christmas is the
T – today, the now, where it is our responsibility to share and celebrate Christ’s love and knowledge with everyone, tomorrow we must do the same. Christmas is a
M – mindset, not a single day. Christmas is focusing on giving to
A – all, sharing love and friendship, giving of our time and heart, not just our pocketbook. Christmas is not about
S – spending, it is about sharing. It is about giving.
Celebrate Christmas every day.
Merry Christmas,
~Brianna
December 29th, 2009 at 10:50 am
Very good Bri, I really enjoyed this! You are sooo right. The thoughts on the commercial Christmas was good and it gave me something to think about!