How do I Make Christmas...CHRISTmas?

How do I Make Christmas...Christmas?

My notebook entry on 12-24-2020

My thoughts lately…

Why does Christmas feel Christ-less to me right now? I feel that it’s my fault for not spending enough time with Jesus or not being mindful about it. So then I keep asking myself “how” to keep Jesus the reason for the season. What should I be doing? 

Then I realized, the answer, once again, is “nothing”. Just be. Enjoy. Count blessings.

Let me expand...

    I can take more intentional time to spend with Jesus. At the same time there is a balance. I am, by nature, a doer. I like to do things and make things happen by action of my own accord or of my own words. I also don’t naturally depend on anyone. In fact, I forgot the reason for Christmas all together without even realizing it. I wanted so badly to “feel” the reason for the season that I forgot that the reason is to receive the gift of Jesus. Does anyone else relate? 

    Receive is a lack of action. When you receive a gift, you let it stay with you. The opposite would be to go to the store and return it. An extra errand.

    Our American culture is built for doers, especially around the holidays. There are parties, traditions, gifts, food to buy and bake and cook and clean and so on. All of this doing makes it easy to feel that Christmas has become an empty shell. The whole point of Christmas is that we receive the gifts given to us. I think our world has too much doing and not enough being. We are human beings after all, not human doings. 

    Christmas is given to us to enjoy each other and each other’s presence. (See what I did there). This fellowship reminds us of the original gift and presence of Jesus. It is a way to remind and celebrate together. Now, this year might have looked different and that’s okay. If you are celebrating alone, take out your journal and list the blessings from this past year. There are always gems amidst the rubble. 

    Jesus loves us so much that he wants to shower us with blessings. Receive them with thankfulness. Let God bless you. Be still. Enjoy Jesus’ presence as it is God’s gift to us.  

In His Peace,

Megan Token