Oi vai! Holiday shopping! Is this picture you?
Every year, I promise myself and try very, very hard to calm those down around me about gift buying and the "keeping up the Joneses" mindset. It is absolutely not necessary! It is "meshugeh". Not familiar with Yiddish? Okay, it means CRAZY! Why are we doing this? Why are we subjecting ourselves to the insanity of Black Friday, unbelievably crowded and noisy malls, long lines, unruly children and adults - I actually witnessed someone lose a coveted parking place the other day and he parked his SUV, big enough to transport half of Canada, in the middle of the traffic lane, got out and went and loudly and intimidatingly chastised the young woman that took the spot. So totally not necessary. She cried, she got back in her car, backed out and left the whole venue, completely left. Was that really necessary for that man to do that? It wouldn't have hurt him to drive another 20 feet and take another spot. Selfish and lazy and hateful. Which one of those personas fits your holiday attitude? Are you the beauty or THE BEAST? Or do you have your Christmas mojo on? And do you have it on for the right reason?
Today is Sunday, December 19th, day six in our countdown to Christmas. Yes, I know I've skipped around a little. That's just the way it appears to all of you. Some of what I write or journal is just for me or maybe my prayers. There has been something everyday, but some of it was just between God and me. So, it may appear that there are some countdown days missing, but not really. The others are tucked away in my heart.
I've dug my heals into the ground long enough. My husband and I didn't start shopping, I mean really shopping, until this past week and with that, comes the insanity, the meshugeh and being surrounded by uncountable throngs of people and lots and lots of white noise. As a matter of fact, the only sounds you hear are rumbles of distorted noise and kvetsh from tired children, bored husbands and mothers/wives dealing with all of them. Don't much care for this. This isn't what it's all about people!
From the time our children come into our lives, we dress them up and do the Santa Clause thing at the mall. We have the coveted pictures of impish smiles (or in the case of both of mine - pictures of mouths wide open as they release blood curdling screams). They are over stimulated from start to finish with brightly colored wish books, loud, fast paced commercials and enticing situations that "will make them happy" and "things" they just absolutely have to have. Really! You and I grew up with the same stuff, except now, thanks to our cyber world, satellite television and everything electronic under the sun, it's worse. It's almost instantaneous. To be perfectly honest with you, and promise you won't laugh, I got all wrapped up in a toddler learning toy that looked so cool on the commercial, that I thought it would be fun for even me to play with. My 19 year old just looked at me and said "mom, you're nuts." Advertisers and manufacturers have a choke hold on us and definitely on our kids. They don't play fair, no matter how you look at it.
Back again at day six. I am shopped out, exhausted and weary. Tonight is the Christmas Cantata at our church and I am looking forward to going and closing my eyes and listening and being very, very blessed. Our Music Minister is phenomenal and every year, it's a wonderful presentation. Can't wait! In the midst of the craziness that we bring upon ourselves, there is something beautiful and spiritually embracing to just sit and soak in. Restoring.
Ultimately, during the Christmas season, we all overdo everything. We all get wrapped up in the commercial side and sometimes get so crazy with all of it, the real "reason for the season" gets lost in the shuffle. I am in prayer daily, actually multiple times daily. After all prayer is nothing more than a conversation with God. I read my devotions, I strive to be the kind of person that allows people to "see" Jesus in me and try to stay faith grounded at the same time. Sometimes God taps us on the shoulder and shows us something to startle us back to reality. That happened today.
It's day six, and this morning, God put an angel in my path and we had a long talk.. Suddenly, nothing else mattered. My special angel shared with us about a family not far from here that needs some help and all by Christmas Eve morning. Through circumstances beyond anything they could ever imagination, they have opened their hearts and their home and now have extra mouths to feed, clothing, toys, bedding and more to buy and all less than a week from Christmas. The circumstances don't matter. If you really want to know and you know how to reach me and I will tell you. Just say an unspoken prayer for all of those involved because God knows, He does and He has placed this in the hands of an earthly angel. Pray for that angel as well!
Trust me, I don't have any problem telling anyone where it all started and what the real "reason for the season" is. Simple terms, God came to Earth as a tiny baby named Jesus. The ultimate gift from God, the very first and always the best Christmas gift, a life given for a death given for our salvation. The wise men brought gifts, shepherds came with lambs. These were the very first Christmas gifts ever given. There is nothing we can buy or give to even come close to the gift that God gave us. Nothing, except to be the kind of people that He would have us all be and to live our lives by His example. Some of my friends of other or no faith have told me that that "yes" they believe there was a man named Jesus, but not necessarily that He was the Son of God or the Messiah. So, I just keep sharing. Some listen, some don't and some ask me to keep it to myself. I still manage to always sneak in a comment or two here and there. If nothing else, I'm persistent!
I don't think all of us being manic and excessive is quite what He had in mind as a way to celebrate Christmas. But we've been doing it so long that it's almost like we celebrate two entirely different holidays - one spiritual and one commercial. I have friends of other faiths - Jewish, Hindu and none at all, that put up trees or exchange gifts and go around telling people Merry Christmas. For them, it's more the feeling of love and warmth and sharing and giving that comes from this time of year in general, even if you are not a Christian. So, no matter how you believe, there really is something special about Christmas that touches most of us and that is very, very cool! It's about giving, sharing, loving, caring and selflessness. It's about taking care of folks that for whatever reason, need some help. It's about going the extra distance to make things a little better for someone. It's about letting someone know that they are not alone, that you care, that you are there for them. Remember the tear jerking song a few years ago, "Christmas Shoes"? It's about all of the Christmas shoes around the world and the people that can make things a little better.
For me, it IS about that tiny baby born of a virgin. It is about the baby growing up and having all of the issues that any child would have had, skinned knees, chores, and more. It is about that Child growing up to be a man and following the path that was predestined for Him. It is about that Man allowing himself to be beaten, flogged, and ultimately allowing Himself to be nailed to a cross, His side pierced, bleeding and eventually die an excruciating death - FOR ME and FOR YOU, for the forgiveness of our sins, for our life everlasting, for our salvation! He lived His life as an example for us. It is our choice to follow and let others see Him through our journey. Through that journey, it is about letting other people know that we are there if they need us and meaning it. It's about not being afraid to let others know where you stand in your faith and why. It's about love and letting your light shine. It's about letting other people see the "reason for the season" through you.
Before I close this and hit the post button, I will leave you with one thought to ponder. We wouldn't have Christmas without Easter..... Figure it out! Remember random acts of kindness, selflessness, forgiveness, giving all that you have...follow the path, keep the faith, believe and shine!
Now, if you didn't already have it on, how about that Christmas Mojo and Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas!
Christmas love and blessings to each of you, and as always, In Him! Christ the King!
Kaye
