Yay! It’s Christmas Eve! Hmmmm. I’ve haven’t been a Christmas person since I was a little kid. It’s just not my favorite holiday. I guess it’s because I’m not really into ‘things.’ I mean, I have all the stuff I want. Every now and then I run across something I want that I don’t have, but it’s not one of those ‘oh-my-gosh-I -just-can’t-live-without-this’ kinda wants. It’s usually something that I forget about as soon as I change the channel or go down another aisle.
I guess the big reason I’m not all that into Christmas is because of all the chaos. I mean, if people weren’t so concerned and stressed about what they are getting for other people and making sure everyone knows what they want, it would be so much better. I get tired of the long lines and the rude people (customers and employees). I used to work in retail and around Christmas, it just seemed like people got meaner and meaner. It’s not like it’s the employees fault a certain product is no longer in stock and they won’t receive more before Christmas or that there are five thousand people in line to check out with only two cashiers. I’m so glad I don’t have to deal with angry customers anymore. They drive me nuts! I try to be as polite as possible to cashiers. Well, unless they are rude from the start and then I just don’t talk to them. lol.
Anyways, back to Christmas. Christmas is about love and the spirit of giving. It’s not about who gives or gets the best gifts and what other people are giving. It’s about the love and the meaning behind the gifts. The whole reason we celebrate Christmas is put on the back burner until Christmas Eve or Christmas night, after all the presents are no longer the main concern. I’m guilty of that a lot. I usually just see Christmas as a nuisance that I’d rather just get over with.
I’m really working hard this year, though, to keep a good and positive perspective. Christmas is a wonderful time of year, all craziness aside. Christmas represents Christ’s love for us and His willingness to give all for us. What greater gift could anyone give? Giving gifts to family and friends is a miniscule representation of the gift of everlasting life from Jesus Christ. Imagine the joy we have when we see how happy our gifts to others makes us. Now imagine Jesus Christ watching us embrace His Gospel and take into our hearts His gift. How happy it must make Him to see us become happy through His gift. He doesn’t ask much in return for his gift. He just asks that we show the same love and kindness to others as He did when he was here and that we do our best to live up to the promises we have made to Him. He doesn’t expect or demand perfection. He just asks that we do our best and He will take care of the rest.
I hope we all spend more time remembering the true reason we celebrate Christmas. The beauty and the love of the gift we have been given and the spirit of which that gift was given to us. I also hope that rememberance doesn’t just last a few weeks out of the year. The spirit of Christmas should be shared all through the year in every aspect of our lives. That is my goal for the upcoming years. I hope you will all make it yours.
Merry Christmas and may God bless your homes, families and lives with love, peace and prosperity.
