For me, it's gotta be the happiest & saddest times of the year- bittersweet.
I absolutely ADORE & love everything about the whole season, time, holiday, and the 2 months before hand. I love the feel when walking into stores, the lights, the beautiful decorations, the music, the signature-and-no-other-way-to-explain-it-other-than-it's-Christmas smell, the cards, the malls, the Salvation Army, the pretty gift wrap & bows & ribbons, Christmas trees, mistletoe, Starbucks red cups & Christmas menu, excitement & expectation, the hustle & bustle of craZy mad preparation for that 1 short day, annnnnd my fav & awesome at of alllllll......CHRISTMAS EDITION NERDZ!!!!
I love everything about it!!! Its, simply put- the most wonderful, spectagical time of year.
But for me, there's more, some of it makes me sadish & some of it is invigorating & just makes me fall even more in love with Christmas.
So, all of those things that I listed are pretty much what everyone would say they love about Christmas. And its not bad, not at all, its just when we are so caught up in the little things of Christmas, we often lose sight/focus on what its really & authentically about.
See, while all those things are wonderful & nice, those oftentimes become Christmas. The gifts, the Christmas edition treats & assorts, the lights & decor...becomes Christmas. We get so caught up in making sure that everything's perfect- from the gifts to the tree, that we lose our focus of what the whole thing is really all about.
The word mass means to celebrate, and the word before that is Christ. So if you put those together you get "Celebrate Christ"!! Pretty neat, hmm? So you should be asking yourself now, "Aren't I supposed to celebrate Christ everyday, why just December 25 every year?"
Welllllll cuz only 1 time did God Himself, for you in the form of mankind-sinful & wretched, come to earth in a stinky & smelly stable, to be born to die. A baby, a pure & innocent baby, already condemned to die.
All.
For.
You.
We get caught up in the craZy gifts, shiny pretty little things of this life, that it blinds & robs us of the truth & reality of it all- Christ.
I can buy all the nicest & most amazing gifts for everyone I know, but without the real motive & reason as to WHY, my gifts are nothing. I can prepare for the most amazing Christmas ever, but without the Christ, aka- love, in my reason to prepare it just becomes a complete & utter random day to throw a shin-dig.
So, when the Christmas season gets in full swing, with all the lights, ornaments, & decorations- remember that the only reason there is a Christmas, is all because of Christ.
So, for this Christmas, and the rest of my life, I want to not be distracted or caught up in the pretty, shiny things in this life; but hold on for the hope & promise of what life really is.
And I want to encourage you in this too.
Owl City has this song called The Christmas Song, and I think its my fav Christmas song.
