Have you struggled to find the perfect Christmas present for your loved ones this year? Did you hover over your children for hours trying to capture the perfect Christmas picture? Have your attempts to create the ideal Christmas robbed you of your joy and peace this season?
Think of your most vivid Christmas memories. Often, it is the most horrendous of mishaps that leave the lasting memories. Even the classic Christmas movies fit this pattern. We remember Charlie Brown’s Christmas because of his pitiable little tree. We smile with little Cindy-Lou Who as she sings with joy even after the Grinch stole her Christmas.
One year our family set out to impress our guests with an extravagant holiday celebration. We splurged at the store and came home with a huge package of jumbo shrimp. Our hands shriveled like prunes after the hours under cold water as we peeled and deveined the centerpiece of our feast. “Please, Dad”, we begged, “Can we just try one shrimp?” “They are for our guests, you’ll have to wait”, was the reply. The shrimp looked lovely, piled high on the crystal tray. As the doorbell rang, Nana carried the heavy tray to the coffee table as we greeted our guests in the entry. By the time we gathered coats and hugs and made our way to the den, our 150 pound Great Dane, Misha, had devoured every last shrimp. I don’t know who was more sickened; my Dad, at the wasted expense, or my dog, for obvious reasons. I don’t remember what we ate that night, but we laughed and enjoyed each other even though our big plans had fallen flat.
In "A Christmas Story" nine-year old Ralphie pines for his dream gift: a genuine Red Ryder 200-shot Carbine Action Air Rifle. We learn along with Ralphie that even the most coveted possessions can disappoint. His teachers, his parents and Santa all tell him, “You’ll shoot your eye out!” As the family’s preconceived notions of the perfect Christmas dissolve, they find joy and happiness with a new tradition of Chinese Turkey as we “Fa ra ra” along.
It’s time to abandon the concept of the perfect Christmas anything. These overblown expectations serve only to frustrate our lives and cause undue anxiety. We end up bitter and angry (like Martha) toiling in the kitchen instead of enjoying the presence of our family and guests (as Mary remembered).
Reclaim the joy and peace that God intended for you this Christmas and always. Trust God that you are where you are supposed to be. Enjoy the unexpected and embrace all that is imperfect. That is my Christmas wish for you!
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
Christmas Contrast
It seems like such an unfair contrast.
Christmas time is a time of celebration and rejoicing for the newborn king. Yesterday my family and I were pleased to be a part of a small celebration, “A Birthday Party for Jesus”. Preschoolers gathered to decorate and devour birthday cakes for Jesus and then attend a puppet show/dramatic depiction of the Christmas story. There was giggling and excitement as the little ones enjoyed the sights and sounds, and celebrated the reason for the season.
In stark contrast, my heart is heavy with the struggles and pain and sorrow of so many friends. It’s four in the morning so the best I can do is pray for my friend who leaves on Wednesday to be with her brother as he endures his final cancer treatments. I am awed by the faith of a friend taking her husband for heart surgery in a few hours. She is so steadfast and sure in her trust in the Lord. May He be her comfort in the waiting room and her husband’s healer during his recovery. I cry out to Jesus for a dear friend chasing after the details of life, struggling to keep all the balls in the air. She is overwhelmed with the pain her husband is feeling and unsure where she should be. I pray for a family swept up in a whirlwind of Christmas activity. In their exhaustion, where is their joy? God grant them the peace of an afternoon together, in one spot, doing nothing but holding down the sofa.
A quick check of the weather reveals it is -11 degrees outside. Where do the cold and homeless turn on a night like this? Who will be Jesus? Who will provide comfort and warmth to those who need it so much?
Mother Teresa said, “There are thousands of people who would love to have what we have, yet God has chosen us to be where we are today to share the joy of loving others”. I may not possess the ability to stop cancer or mend a broken heart, yet I do the simple little things that I can. I give what I can, and then give a little more. I can’t turn up the thermostat in the Midwest but I can drop off a hat and mittens for those in need. I can reach out, show I care and listen with a compassionate heart. I can roll up my sleeves and lend a hand without being asked.
What can you do?
Christmas time is a time of celebration and rejoicing for the newborn king. Yesterday my family and I were pleased to be a part of a small celebration, “A Birthday Party for Jesus”. Preschoolers gathered to decorate and devour birthday cakes for Jesus and then attend a puppet show/dramatic depiction of the Christmas story. There was giggling and excitement as the little ones enjoyed the sights and sounds, and celebrated the reason for the season.
In stark contrast, my heart is heavy with the struggles and pain and sorrow of so many friends. It’s four in the morning so the best I can do is pray for my friend who leaves on Wednesday to be with her brother as he endures his final cancer treatments. I am awed by the faith of a friend taking her husband for heart surgery in a few hours. She is so steadfast and sure in her trust in the Lord. May He be her comfort in the waiting room and her husband’s healer during his recovery. I cry out to Jesus for a dear friend chasing after the details of life, struggling to keep all the balls in the air. She is overwhelmed with the pain her husband is feeling and unsure where she should be. I pray for a family swept up in a whirlwind of Christmas activity. In their exhaustion, where is their joy? God grant them the peace of an afternoon together, in one spot, doing nothing but holding down the sofa.
A quick check of the weather reveals it is -11 degrees outside. Where do the cold and homeless turn on a night like this? Who will be Jesus? Who will provide comfort and warmth to those who need it so much?
Mother Teresa said, “There are thousands of people who would love to have what we have, yet God has chosen us to be where we are today to share the joy of loving others”. I may not possess the ability to stop cancer or mend a broken heart, yet I do the simple little things that I can. I give what I can, and then give a little more. I can’t turn up the thermostat in the Midwest but I can drop off a hat and mittens for those in need. I can reach out, show I care and listen with a compassionate heart. I can roll up my sleeves and lend a hand without being asked.
What can you do?
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