We Wish You a Merry Christmas
A little before Thanksgiving.
I am typically against what the media calls “Christmas Creep.” This is the phenomenon in which retailers start to decorate for Christmas sometime in early August. I find it ridiculous as I think most people do. I mean, come one, what about the four holidays before Christmas. Labor day gets no respect, Columbus day is a footnote you discover when your bank is closed and you don’t know why, Halloween gets some press, and Thanksgiving has become a shadow of a holiday.
This year it does not bug me as much.
I must be getting old. I was in Kohls in September when I saw some wooden pilgrim status. I was impressed. Someone remembered Thanksgiving before Christmas (well, sort of, they had Christmas themed products by the register). We have a local radio station already playing Christmas music, and Walgreens had their Christmas decor up yesterday (maybe earlier).
We look forward to Christmas.
We look forward to the shallow things it represents. We want family time, parties, eggnog, and gifts. There is something in our souls that wants these familiar feelings and signs of good cheer. We want it so bad, we begin our ache four months early. What is sad is, most of us stop short of what could be truly fulfilling. We stop short of the hope we could have in Christ as opposed to the hope we could have in stockings and trees.
Many are depressed.
When these shallow things of life fail us and mix with the common stresses of the holidays, people start to get depressed. I think I read once that Christmas eve tally’s one of the largest suicide rates of the year. This is the ultimate failure of “stuff” as our god showing through. Cookies and gifts will never fulfill us the same way a life with Christ, and Christ alone, will. Our family is made up of imperfect people whom we love, but who will let us down. Our need is to latch onto something permanent, holy, and perfect. Not to latch onto something temporary.
If you take time this season to focus on Christ as Lord and His entering into this world to redeem His people instead of on traditions and wish lists, I guarantee you will have a better December than last.
Oh, and don’t forget Thanksgiving.
-Don-
PS. As a bonus tip, leave the arguing over Santa Clause and “holiday” trees to the media and the rest. There are more important things to focus on.
