It’s the morning of Christmas Eve, and I’m the only one up. Tears stream as I watch Godvine videos. When I have tears like this, there’s usually a deep truth to acknowledge.
On Godvine, I watched a skinny “Santa” giving coats, gloves, hugs, and bowls of soup to the homeless. A choir sings Christmas hymns in a mall, ending with O Holy Night and scores of shoppers kneeling before Mary, Joseph and Jesus as they walk into the gathered crowd. Even a pit bull puppy was in my teary-video mix. It seems this rambunctious dog has a compassionate gift. He spends days in a veterinary hospital and naturally snuggles with other animals who are suffering.
I can’t help but make comparisons. Jesus — do I have anything to offer? How can I share You with a hurting world? in my home? with my friends? in my city? Where do you want me, and how can I best reveal You? I feel inept, like I am letting You down, Jesus. Like I am missing my mark or wasting my life. I softly sob. I want to be different, like those on the videos. They share You through their lives, and people feel loved, encouraged, joyful. What is my gift, Jesus? How is it that I can share Your love? Share You, Jesus?
The following quotes from writers much more eloquent than I pour into my soul this morning.
“You are most prepared for Christmas when you are done trying to make your performance into the gift — and instead revel in His *presence* as the Gift.” Ann Voskamp
I was almost ready to hit the streets to finish my Christmas shopping, when visions of a Christmas blog danced in my head. I was compelled to type. Ministers say Easter and Christmas are the toughest sermons to prepare. Dare I say anything about Christmas?
I’m not coming from a place of believing I have it right — rather this post is written from the bottom of the trail, looking up at my “Christmas path,” contemplating how I might look differently at the holidays.
I question how well I’m actually celebrating Jesus’ birth. I’m spread thin and tired. Possibly spending too much. Not giving enough to the truly needy. Is all I am doing in the name of Christmas glorifying Jesus? Is it about Him at all? Should I be “more focused” on Jesus now than in, say February or August?
We’ve seen the buttons: “Jesus is the reason for the season.” True, for a Christian. But is the message effective? Even many sincere followers of Christ find December to be a tough time to squeeze in prayer and reading the Bible. Stress can rise as we prepare for the joys of seeing extended family, squeezing in one more event, and shopping…
We try to be extra jolly and bright, but it can be hard. Sometimes we resign ourselves to the merriment and set aside being with Jesus until the calm of winter. Or possibly we begin to resent the “secular side” of Christmas and all the traditional “trappings” we can’t seem to escape. Some of us are lonely and just wish we could skip Christmas. Others hang Christmas trees upside down and stop exchanging any gifts — all in the name of keeping Christ in Christmas. The extreme even become possessive of the Christ child, and militant toward the non Christians who are participating in our holiday.
What if we took off the well-intentioned, but slightly preachy buttons that might alienate, and simply reminded ourselves that Jesus is the reason for life in every season! Christmas is fun. It’s just the date we choose to outwardly celebrate His birth.
We know the Gospel is our joy and our responsibility to celebrate EVERY day. What if we took the pressure off ourselves to be more attentive to Jesus in December? Isn’t that really our everyday privilege? What if we believed that Jesus really did come for everyone, and experienced Christmas as a unique opportunity to be a little more bold in letting Jesus shine through us to others — to strangers, our families, believers and non believers alike? What if the joy of our Christmas boldness grew into the new year?
year-round decoration in my house
It is open season on Christ all year long. But at Christmastime, the average person is more tolerant and celebratory — no matter what their faith. Most people on the street know Christmas originated in Jesus’ birth, so they’re a little more tolerant of our prayer and worship. They love Santa and gift-giving. They accept our offerings and enjoy our singing — even about the little child in Bethlehem. Most Americans wave white flags around Christmas. Everyone seems to want a little more goodwill toward men. “Christmas spirit” (whatever it’s source) is contagious.
What an opportunity! Instead of letting others see us struggle within our ranks about how to celebrate and what “should not” be the center of the Christmas celebration, let them see that Jesus always reigns in our hearts! Christmas is a great opportunity to share the One we celebrate all year long.
They may not understand our faith, but they’re watching. We can give gifts of grace as well as wrapped packages, because we’re the children of our King! His abundance is ours! We can celebrate family as one of God’s most precious gifts. We can have fun and joyfully receive and celebrate the mystery of the Gospel as little children.
Hopefully, some will ask the reason for our joy, and give us an opportunity to tell them about the Jesus who is always with us — our personal Savior. We don’t have to make heroic or divisive efforts to be sure outsiders see we’re all about Jesus in December, because we constantly surrender and accept His grace by faith — usually in the quiet of our daily prayers. Jesus knows our hearts.
We don’t enter God’s kingdom through debate or problem-solving, but we receive it in faith as little children. Maybe at Christmas we need to be less pious and scholarly. As we continually open our heart, mind and soul to Jesus, we can leave it to Him to create opportunities to reveal Himself to others through us — or not. How is Christmas different from any other time of year in this regard? Only in that others are watching more intently.
We as Christians are on the world’s stage whether we like it or not. What are we saying? Let’s reflect Him. Let’s give gifts and make merry — all with the purpose, not of preaching, but of loving. Let’s open our hearts first to Him in intentional prayer and worship. Then, to each other and our neighbors. We have a golden opportunity to share our everyday friend and Savior, Jesus, with the watching world.
Just how we celebrate Christmas isn’t the point. Rather we join together at Christmas and everyday to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind. And love your neighbor as yourself” as Luke 10:27 teaches. To be thankful. To praise Him and to share what He has done in our lives.
Let’s realize that “Christmas” might not be just for Christians, but also a God-given opportunity for us to enter the world of nonbelievers, with a hall pass to share our faith and our holiday freely and generously. We can have total faith that as we open our hearts to Him and to others, the Babe of Bethlehem will be with us, and He will appreciate our celebration.
One of my dearest friends tried to drop off Christmas treats to us last night. We weren’t home. Thanks to Rob our exterior was bright with lighted Christmas balls, but the front porch light was off. Later that night I read the following text from my friend: “I think I am at your house, but it doesn’t seem like it… do you have a bunch of lighted balls out front?”
It’s a funny text… but also a sad commentary. We have been so busy building a home and business since we moved, that we have been somewhat isolated socially. I keep up with people via scattered calls and facebook, but I am disconnected without a real sense of community. We need to build a life – rich in relationships and meaning! My sweet friend has so seldom been to my house, that she isn’t sure if she’s in my driveway when she comes! What happened to having friends in our homes?
I used to have a house full all the time — birthdays, Young Life, families: just adults and with kids, after the game, before the prom, pot luck, Bible Studies, fund raisers, committee meetings, just to talk, getting a friend’s opinion about decorating, gardening or a new outfit… our house was vibrant. What happened to that way of life?
The children left home, people went back to work, I moved, remarried and returned. But I don’t think any of those things tells the whole story, because it seems that I’m in good company. These days I hear from friends of all ages comments like: “I never see anyone,” “we really do need to plan a get together,” “I’m so busy, but I don’t know what I do.” Every now and then there’s a birthday lunch, a ball game, or a charity event to see friends — but what happened to just having people over? For a celebration? Or for no reason other than fun and fellowship?
What happened to making the effort to know your neighbors and to friends dropping in for a visit — sharing flowers, vegetables or baked goods? I usually don’t even see people I know at church, and few linger to talk afterwards. What happened to simpler times where people had more time for each other — just to enjoy each others company and “do life” together?
is this friendship? life? worthy of the time I give it?
Now it seems that WAY too often “conversations” and the sharing of lives happens through the viral youtubes and blogs of strangers, texting and facebook with friends — even emails, the junk mail of our day, go unread. Phone conversations are avoided, because they interrupt plans and tie up too much time and energy. The art of a hand-written letter or note is all but lost, and even shopping and pizza deliveries are scheduled online! We are eliminating a myriad of face to face interactions (opportunities to show love) — all in the name of what? Efficiency?
Check out this info graph to see what all that “efficiency” is getting us! No one will be surprised to hear we are a tired and stressed-out nation. What happened to the virtue of rest from our labor and Sabbath rest in Him? Even in church we are often busy, overwhelmed, tired and lonely.
And is all this cyber-connectedness making us feel more sense of community? One man’s own loneliness spawned research and an article containing the following quote: “Loneliness has doubled: 40 percent of adults in two recent surveys said they were lonely, up from 20 percent in the 1980s. All of our Internet interactions aren’t helping and may be making loneliness worse. A recent study of Facebook users found that the amount of time you spend on the social network is inversely related to how happy you feel throughout the day.”
Mom and Dad on her 82nd birthday!
I want to change my life. “BUSY” in my book is the latest addition to bad 4 letter words. I want to be available to people when they need me — family, friends and strangers — and reach out more to form relationships and share my life. I want to write frequent notes of thanks and encouragement. I want to meet my neighbors and rekindle old friendships– in person! I want to give more away: my belongings and myself. I love the ideas of paying it forward and small acts of kindness, and want to be intentional in my “stranger” interactions. Won’t you join me? More “busy” posts to come. I would love to hear your experiences and ideas!
Even my blog and art pulls me away from face to face interactions; I can be an artistic hermit… I’m going to schedule my writing and schedule our LIVING! Have more parties and visit with more real-live people! 😉 There’s a place for meeting in restaurants and talking on facebook or in texts. Hard work is Biblical… these things aren’t bad.
But being together in someone’s home is different… it’s intimate and vulnerable. I remember sitting around my maternal grandmother’s big dining table, multiple generations just talking without rushing off after the noon meal. Our small town didn’t have many restaurants, so she had guests for “dinner” almost every weekday after she retired. Granny grew vegetables and roses in the back yard and shared them generously. She volunteered reading at the elementary school library well into her 90s, and offered long term housing to many relatives and friends at various times in their lives. I think these activities help explain why she lived to be 107!
My mom is also a gifted hostess. She and my dad housed business associates and friends overnight on a regular basis, with tremendous grace and welcome. They had dinner parties, and were frequently invited out. They considered it a privilege and a priority to visit their friend’s in their homes all over the country! She and her neighbors share “treats” year round — the first bloom in season, a welcome gift left by the door when someone’s been away, custard when someone’s sick, tomatoes from the garden, or something they picked up for a friends just because. My mom and dad created holiday traditions that no one wants to miss! I want to claim back some of my mother and grandmother’s “old-fashioned” hospitality to family, friends and strangers. I put it out there.. hold me accountable!
On Godvine, I watched a skinny “Santa” giving coats, gloves, hugs, and bowls of soup to the homeless. A choir sings Christmas hymns in a mall, ending with O Holy Night and scores of shoppers kneeling before Mary, Joseph and Jesus as they walk into the gathered crowd. Even a pit bull puppy was in my teary-video mix. It seems this rambunctious dog has a compassionate gift. He spends days in a veterinary hospital and naturally snuggles with other animals who are suffering.
