Welcome back. You belong here.
A good quote for the day, from christianitytoday.com "THERE IS NO IDEAL Christmas, only the one Christmas you decide to make as a reflection of your values, desires, affections, traditions."
Bill McKibben, Hundred Dollar Holiday: The Case For a More Joyful Christmas
I remember a year I was on my Christian-high-horse (but only that one year), thinking: "Christmas is so commercial.....where is the real meaning, blah, blah, blah." Ever felt that way?
I know that feeling is natural amidst the $$ and business of it all. But that's because we make Christmas about us, we want something outside of us to make us feel good about Christmas. As if Jesus should teach the Christmas Eve message, wrap presents at K-Mart/Target and go caroling with us. Then it would be meaningful.
There is no ideal Christmas, except for the Christmas that you decide to make special. The last time Christmas was special/meaningful/real was the time I made that decision, to have me plug into GOD's STORY, versus the other way around.
So one year we gave to the poor, another year we sent a box of 'regalos' to my family in Nicaragua, another year we read Scripture every day for 10 days, another year we just complained about how it should be. I tell you, being a Christian is hard work. My unbelieving friends don't think about this stuff!
And you know what, Christmas is still commercial, and it's $$, and yet it's bigger than us. It's not about how it makes us feel, it's about us doing something to bring the bigger story into our lives and the lives of others. But that's hard, most of us want Jesus to literally be in the manger at our church play.
Try something with your children, staff, homes to bring meaning into this Christmas, there is still time. Then again, sometimes it just hits you, and you realize how much all of this is just God's grace.
Have a great day.
Into the future,
davidT
