The Perfect Christmas?
As I progressed through Advent and crowded my days and my thoughts with all the things I needed to do for Christmas, I thought to myself is this what Christmas is all about? Getting everything just right? I fretted over cooking and shopping… made a ton of to-do lists… worried over having enough energy to get it all done. What would happen if I didn’t get everything done? Would Christmas be a disappointment if my M&M cookies didn’t get baked?
I was starting to feel a bit rebellious and started to devise ways of eliminating my to-do lists. But then I came into my office one morning and discovered a gift bag sitting in my chair. The gift bag was thoughtfully and artfully laced up with pretty curly-q ribbons and the gifts inside carefully wrapped with tissue paper. In an instant I knew what Christmas was all about!
As Christians we all struggle with the commercialism vs. prayer and faith aspects of Advent and Christmas. We want the peace that our Savior’s birth promises us. But that peace doesn’t come without hard work, sacrifice and love. As I gazed upon my gift bag for a bit I realized that someone had put a lot of work, time and love into creating a gift for me. I thought how blessed I am and this is the true meaning of Christmas: Sacrificing our time, energies and talents for others. God’s Christmas “gift” to us is the birth of his only Son, whom he knew would be rejected by mankind and eventually sacrificed on the Cross.
As I progressed through Advent and crowded my days and my thoughts with all the things I needed to do for Christmas, I thought to myself is this what Christmas is all about? Getting everything just right? I fretted over cooking and shopping… made a ton of to-do lists… worried over having enough energy to get it all done. What would happen if I didn’t get everything done? Would Christmas be a disappointment if my M&M cookies didn’t get baked?
I was starting to feel a bit rebellious and started to devise ways of eliminating my to-do lists. But then I came into my office one morning and discovered a gift bag sitting in my chair. The gift bag was thoughtfully and artfully laced up with pretty curly-q ribbons and the gifts inside carefully wrapped with tissue paper. In an instant I knew what Christmas was all about!
As Christians we all struggle with the commercialism vs. prayer and faith aspects of Advent and Christmas. We want the peace that our Savior’s birth promises us. But that peace doesn’t come without hard work, sacrifice and love. As I gazed upon my gift bag for a bit I realized that someone had put a lot of work, time and love into creating a gift for me. I thought how blessed I am and this is the true meaning of Christmas: Sacrificing our time, energies and talents for others. God’s Christmas “gift” to us is the birth of his only Son, whom he knew would be rejected by mankind and eventually sacrificed on the Cross.
We can never have the perfect Christmas, since that only occurred once a little over 2000 years ago, but we can sacrifice our time, talent and energies in our gift-giving, baking & cooking, and prayers of joy and love. It is not about achieving the perfect Christmas but the love we put into the effort!
Merry Christmas and God Bless, Holly Clark
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