Christmas

At this time of year it's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of things that need to be done. Everyone has a to-do list that seems like it's a mile long and it can become overwhelming. There is cleaning to be done, and baking and wrapping and visiting and shopping and concerts, and so on and so on and so on. There is so much to do! Some people have blamed all this stress on Christmas itself, when the original Christmas was a very quiet, intimate event. Some people have even gone so far as to dread Christmas and all that surrounds it because of the stress.

But Christmas is always going to be Christmas. The time when a holy God decided to reach out to a sinful world with the best gift of all: His only Son. That's what Christmas is. Christmas is not the hubbub or crowded stores. It's not the baking, wrapping and shopping. It's none of those things. Christmas is a time to celebrate the best gift of all: Christ.

It's easy to get caught up in everything that you think you have to do in order to have 'Christmas'. But why not try to pare down your to-do list this year. So what if the fruit cake doesn't get made? So what if the peanut butter balls don't get dipped in chocolate? That's not what Christmas is anyway. Maybe if you pared down your list and focused on the true Christmas, you would be less stressed and enjoy it more. Just a thought. Merry Christmas everyone!