I recently visited with a friend in the grocery store. She showed me a picture of something that was going around on Facebook. It was it seemed to be a life size Jesus, as an adult, in front of a house. Someone, it looked like, was trying for Christmas Decorations. Jesus, the statue, was way more zombie looking than I had imagined He would look like. I think that most of us in our decorating and preparing, and yes, buying for Christmas, we miss the mark. We kind of end up on the crazy end of things when all is said and done. As a society we are looking so close at the decorations, the gifts, the food, the activities that we have our backs to the real reason we are using for this season. There are even arguments on if it is really the day Christ was born (He was born, that is what matters) and if it is Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas (why can’t it be both).
Then there is the race. Where we act as if nothing will go right without making sure our homes are perfect, we have purchased all the right gifts, cooked all the right foods. Basically the theory that the one with the best, most, greatest…. wins. But, isn’t it in that winning that we lose? John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”
I think that we would be happier if we truly remembered the “reason for the season”. Pause, enjoy time with family and friends, help others instead of buying that “right” gift. Forget the monster dinner and all of its stress…..frozen pizza is a good option. Mostly focus and pause and thank God for the gift He gave the world. His one and only Son, because He loved us so.
Merry Christmas AND Happy Holidays to all.
Pastor Nettie Covalt
First Presbyterian Church of Wrangell
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