We’re about to enter into the crazy season. From Thanksgiving ‘til New Years, the world goes insane. My December calendar is already almost full. Plus I have to shop to buy presents that nobody really needs anyway.Why do I have to do all this? Because I live in America. I have been trying for years to find a way to avoid it all.
It’s not that I completely hate it, but it just seems to me that if we are going to have a celebration of Jesus’ birth, then that’s what we ought to do. Why does it have to be accompanied by so much stress? It’s very unlikely December 25 is actually Jesus’ birthday anyway. The holiday actually has pagan roots. More on that in a future blog.
If I had my way, I would go to church on Christmas Eve and then spend a cozy Christmas day with my family, maybe exchanging small, heartfelt gifts. We would rejoice together in the Savior God sent into the world. Then life would go on (though I think the celebration of Jesus should last all year).
But I feel like I would be considered a "grinch" if I handled Christmas this way, if I didn’t go to any of the parties I was invited to or didn’t give gifts to the people who gave them to me. It’s not that I don’t enjoy parties; I just wish they didn’t all have to be in December. And it’s not that I don’t like to give presents; I just like to do it when I have a good reason or desire to, not just because it’s Christmas.
And why do we have to eat so much? As most anyone who struggles with their weight will tell you, this is by far the most difficult time of the year to control your food intake.
Sorry to be such a stick in the mud. What are your thoughts? Do you love every minute of it, or if not, how do you handle it all?
7 comments:
No I do not love every minute of it either. A lady at church and I 'affectionately' call ourselves the Scrooges at the holidays. LOL It's just overwhelming. I agree with the presents. We opted out of the giant family name draw thing.. it was just exchanging checks anyway. And we've never met some of the ppl, so it was just weird for me. But yeah.. I just want to pull the covers over my head until Dec 26 and then things start looking up! :-D
i've definitely had different emotions about this time of year. after my parents' divorce when i was 12 all this time of year brought to me was sadness. as the years passed the Lord has healed my heart eventhough i've been known to still have a cry from time to time. i wouldn't necessarily say that i love "every minute of it", but there are definitely many things that i "heart" about this time of year. i think more than anything having my own family and beginning our own traditions has helped me to fill joy and thankfulness this time of year. it is a time to remember our Lord and celebrate everyone that i love and to be thankful that i am loved. i really also like fall and winter so i'm sure that the entire atmosphere helps me to enjoy many of the old time traditions. i also get excited about christmas songs playing and i like christmas decor too.
What would you suggest doing to celebrate the birth of our Savior?
Read the Christmas story from the Bible, sing or listen to Christ-centered Christmas songs, and just generally focus on God's gift rather than materialism and greed.
Here is what I love about the Christmas season.....good family memories such as putting up the tree, baking, making crafts, reading from our Bible together, baking a birthday cake for Jesus, and spending time with family that I don't get to see very often.
Here is what makes me CRAZY at Christmas time....postcards received in the mail with 5 names that were drawn for us that we "have" to buy a gift for, the shopping madness, the hectic schedule and programs, and most of all the amount of money we often feel that we have to spend on family members we hardly even know. That gets me crazy....not that I dislike giving, but I agree with you Christ is often forgotten During CHRISTmas!!!!! I am not sure what the answer is!!
I hope it is o.k. that once again I just went ahead and posted an entire blog about this issue....you got me all fired up! :) It must really make me just as crazy as you!
I totally agree Jill...I posted a long "blog" myself on Christy's blog:-). I think we need to be more about Jesus at Christmas...loving and doing as He would. I think that it is okay to be a grinch if it means worshipping Jesus instead of things and materialism. I love Christmas because I have always had such wonderful memories of this time of year with my family (that some of them very close to me have already gone to be with Jesus). I also love the memories and traditions that we have made with the kids. I am very sentimental, so I get very excited at the thought of making traditions and memories with my kids that hopefully honor Christ and His birth.
I also think that everyone should do for themselves and their family what they think is right and not be "made" to feel like they have certain things they must do or things they must buy to be doing the "right" thing! (Make sense?)
I love the thought provoking nature of this (and Christy's) blog. Keep up the great work!
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