As the British Say, "Happy Christmas!"

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” proclaims the ornament sitting above my fireplace. I love Christmas, everything about this holiday makes me warm up inside! I guess it could just the Caramel Brulee latte from Starbucks I have in my hand, but I think there is more to it than that. I’m sure you have read the many blog posts, or seen the dozens of Christmas movies that remind us that the season is more than just giving presents, but is a time of celebration and love. Some even go a little deeper and take you back to the night in Bethlehem when Jesus Christ was born in a manger, the true celebration of the Christmas season. I don’t have any arguments against these. In fact, I welcome them and wish we would take their lessons to heart more often than we do.

                My question today, however, is this: What do you really want this year? I’m not talking about the iPhone 6 or any other gizmo that will be marketed as one of the most desired gifts this Christmas season. When it comes down to it, most of us don’t care about what it is we receive, but it is the memories we make, weather good or bad, that we will look back on each year. I certainly don’t remember what gifts I received when I was six or seven, but I do remember sitting between my parents, listening to my dad read an Advent devotional and staring at the tree, its lights the only glow coming from the house.

                I think many of us would agree that we desire a Christmas where there is laughter, joy, friendship, and family. We want to feel like we belong, that we are surrounded by people who care and celebrate simply being there with us. I find it interesting that we are so aware of the basic human need of belonging on this particular holiday. I think that we are always searching for belonging, but because of the celebrations and family gatherings, we become more sensitive towards how we feel when we suddenly find ourselves surrounded by the people we believe should be fulfilling this requirement.

                There may be many other things affecting your Christmas spirit this year; the loss of a child or parent, divorce papers, financial setbacks, or any of the other difficulties we face as humans in a messed up world. Yet when we are facing these issues, we still want to be comforted and loved by the people we “fit in” with, no matter how much you may be denying it, or craving aloneness. We all lose the magic of Christmas as we grow. It turns into another day, but there are decorations. How do we find the magic we believed in as Children?

                Close your eyes. (Don’t really, you should keep your eyes open if you want to keep reading, but you do have an imagination.) You wake up early on December 25^th. The rest of your family has not yet woken up, but you glance out the window to see that there is snow falling gently to the ground. You get up to get a closer look at the world of white, noting that the rising sun is just catching the snow so it glitters. Thank you, Lord, for a reminder that you cover the ugly things with a white purity, you pray silently. You shuffle downstairs in your pajamas to make a pot of coffee. While you wait, you turn on the tree lights. As you pour your first cup, you think about the day ahead. When your family wakes up, you will all enjoy watching each other discover the gifts you have given them. There is nothing like the sweet satisfaction of giving a gift that you know someone is going to love! Your thoughts move on to the meal you will share with your family and friends. Though it may be some work, it will be worth it to enjoy the company as you eat what has been prepared. Your thoughts are disturbed as you hear another door open in the house, here comes the family!

                Ok, that is my version of a perfect Christmas morning, yours may look different. But I want to leave you with is this: we all have a vision of a happy Christmas. The memories are much dearer to us than anything we receive. Our desires to be loved and provide love are the deepest gifts we hope to exchange. Jesus provided a picture of that love as he became a baby who would one day cleanse the world of death. He accepts you as you are, all he asks is that you come to Him, belong to Him. That baby in the manger really did come, and he really was God. When you choose to belong to Him, you find a joy beyond comparison no matter where you are this Christmas season. Now that is what I call a Happy Christmas!