Soak up Christmas Day
Merry Christmas! There is no other day in the year like Christmas. The lights, decorations, sounds and music, food, gifts, and family all make this a once in a year experience. I hope this will be a great Christmas, even if this has been a hard year for you and your family. Unfortunately many will miss the special joy and fullness God has for us in this season, but you don’t have to. This is a very special Christmas for us as a family. I am so thankful that my wife’s dad, our precious Pop, is doing well this Christmas after having triple bypass heart surgery just before Christmas last year. We are also especially thankful for my health, since it was just this past January when I was told I had lung cancer and the future looked dark indeed. Now, almost one year later, I’m feeling fine and I appear to have a bright future ahead of me. This year did teach me in a fresh way not to take any day, especially Christmas, for granted. Yet far too many who claim to be Christians miss the greatest joys of this season. It is interesting to me that almost everyone in America celebrates Christmas, including most atheists, agnostics, Buddhists, you name it. According to several recent surveys over 90% of Americans celebrate Christmas some way, and why not? Of course there are always a few anti-Christmas folks out there, claiming it is too commercialized or was not the real birthday of Christ. While both are correct, Christmas has become too commercialized and far too many Americans go into debt to give presents they can’t afford, and most scholars agree that Jesus was probably born in the Spring of the year when shepherds would be out at night watching their flocks, those are poor reasons to ignore this wonderful holiday. What a great time this is to celebrate with family and friends the great blessings of God. While most who celebrate this holiday do not acknowledge or take the time celebrate the real reason for the season, they get the benefits of the overflow of a culture that still sets time aside every year to celebrate the birth of Christ. How would you celebrate this Christmas if you knew it would be your last Christmas? After what I’ve been through and thinking that I might not be around to ever celebrate another Christmas, that question has led me to try and soak up every moment and joy this season has to offer. Here are a few suggestions that have helped me soak up the fullness and joy of this season. Take the time to slow down and gaze at some of the festive Christmas lights. I’ve enjoyed getting up early in the morning and having my quiet time with the Lord with just the Christmas tree and a small lamp illuminating the room. I’ve played Christmas carols and praise songs on my sound system at home and in my car and sung along, pondering the message of those words. Slow down your eating and savor each bite of that awesome food. Look deeply into each loved one’s eyes and tell them how much you love them, and how much they mean to you. Take the opportunity to read again the Christmas story as a family, and ponder that God would become a man to save us from our sins. Share with one another what you are most thankful for this year. My family and I want to wish you and your family a very blessed and wonderful Christmas day.
