As I drove to meet my (adorable) husband for breakfast this morning, the announcer on the radio station I was tuned into exclaimed, “Eight days ’til Christmas!” I felt momentarily slugged in the stomach. I knew what the date was but what went through my brain already full of thoughts was another one: “Eight days?! Surely you jest!”
I’m sure the expression on my face was a furrowed brow, panic, and disbelief. There’s still so much to do! There are cookies to be baked, banana bread loaves to be packaged, silver to be polished (again). There are presents to be wrapped. Heck, there are presents still to be bought! There will be meal preparations and special Christmas Eve church service clothes. School isn’t even out yet. And eight days?! I need double that.
But after this inner panic and fret, I stopped myself short. I felt a silent voice stopping me short.
“Melanie, Christmas is NOT about these cookies and cards and clothes! It’s about ME!”
Wow, yes, Lord, It’s about You and only You. It’s certainly not about whether I’ve found the best sale and purchased the perfect present. Sure I want to make my loved ones happy and delighted on Christmas morning, but that’s not what it’s all about. It’s not about having so many activities and tasks in front of me that I’ve made that the focus instead of being joyful about what really is!
I want to be merry this Christmas, most certainly. But I want my family to have a Mary Christmas most of all. I want to look forward with joyful anticipation to the day we celebrate the birth of this Baby who came just for us! We are the reason for this season too! He came as this precious infant so that He could grow to the be the man who would one day be our salvation. So when you get down to it, when you’re hurrying around searching for gifts and making your lists and baking your goodies, do so in joy. Remember that these things-while they may be a commercial aspect of our holiday-can be done with joy and not grumbling and panic because we’re running out of time to be perfect.
Let’s remember to highlight, be in awe of, and celebrate this young girl whose life got turned upside down and she had to become brave in a hurry, and let’s cherish the reason for the day, His birth and His great sacrifice.
