Twas the week before Christmas
And all through the house
Every creature was stirring
Including the mouse (eek!!!)
No stockings were hung by the chimney with care
For Ms. Betty was on her way over there.
The children were nestled, but not in there beds
Begging and shouting,"more, more, more!"
That's an incomplete parody of the The Night Before Christmas. The poem goes on until St. Nick appears. I remember reading this as a child and always becoming nostalgic for Christmas.
But Christmas isn't so peaceful anymore -
We have parties to attend and parties to plan.
Gifts to buy and gifts to wrap.
Desserts to be made for our various Christmas parties.
And of course, we have to have the right outfits for all of these events.
Before you know it, we're all caught up with the excitement of the seasons while forgetting what caused the initial excitement in the first place. Jesus came - that is the reason we have Christmas. Don't be a scrooge, but please take a moment to be mindful of that first Christmas. Take time at the beginning of each day, to give thanks. Jesus was the first gift, which allowed us to have many more. I hope you're not feeling out of sorts this Christmas. If you are, take a moment and remember the reason we celebrate.
For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11
What are you doing to stay calm at Christmas?
Christmas is calm and peaceful in my house because we de-emphasis gift giving, so that between our family of four, we put names in a bag, pick two, and select a gift price cap. We shop or create our gifts. We avoid malls because they are ridiculous at this time of year. There are parties to attend but I pick and choose, often refusing to attend those that require me to "show my face." I hate those. So, far I've attended one this year and have already decided that it will be unlikely that I was repeat the experience next year. *sigh* My church is having a party at the Waldorf Astoria on Sunday that is less a Christmas party but rather a pastoral anniversary celebration. I'm happy to attend that. I'll be wearing something old; actually a hand-me-down. (Who really cares?) So, yes, there is peace.
ReplyDeleteWe keep Christmas really simple in our family. We get the tree. I buy a few gifts often without ever even going to the mall and that's it. I just want to take time to appreciate and enjoy life and family this time a year. I'm not trying to go broke and stress myself out!!
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