Visions of Christmas Present- Redux

To me, Christmas today seems way too complicated.  Of course, if I could visit another era, it may be just the same…  Who really knows for sure?

Christmas, and here I really mean the Christmas season, seems complicated because it involves an awful lot of activity.  When my three kids were little, there were at least three different programs that had to fit in; sometimes there were more.  Of course there’s also the annual Kids’ Christmas program at Church…

Of course there are also the office events, and events for any other organization that we might be involved with, including church.  There was decorating that needed to be done, house cleaning added in to the normal routine because of various family get-togethers, and quite naturally there were family get-togethers at others’ houses that need to be attended.

Invariably there is some kind of church activity for the less fortunate, and the Christmas Eve service that must be prepared for… oh yes, and gifts that need to be shopped for, cookies and sweets that need to be made, and all of this goes on when the football starts to get really good!

Even the weather seems to conspire… you have to rush off to the Christmas play and you look out the window to discover that since you last noticed several inches of snow came down and you need to rush out and shovel.  One year we got six feet the Saturday before Christmas: what a mess!

It’s so easy to get caught up in all of the rush, craziness and things, loosing entirely the simple and basic reasons for the Holiday.

For to us a child is born, a son is given…

I have become a firm believer in jumping off of the Christmas roller coaster! Now that’s not to say that anything I have mentioned is bad… there’s just too much of it!

First and foremost Christmas is a season to celebrate and remember the birth of a Savior; Christ the Lord.  It is a time to be thankful to God for all that He has done for us through Jesus Christ, and to re-dedicate ourselves to His service.

Second, it is a time to share God’s love with friends and family, and together to joyfully give Him praise and thanks.

Third it’s a great time to relax and enjoy the company of loved ones in peace and joy.

It could just be that I’m way too old-fashioned; maybe I’m just an old Scrooge… I just can’t believe that the modern-day Christmas roller coaster is quite what God had in mind for this season of celebrating the birth of His Son.

This year I’m only going to participate in the things that are really important, the ones that really focus in on what the season is supposed to be about!

As you might imagine, I say that every year.  I am absolutely booked between now and the big day…

Next year I’ll show ’em how it should be done…