Christmas may be on December 25 each year, but it starts in early October. That’s when the commercials start appearing on TV and it seems like they start earlier every year. By the time December rolls around, I have the same love for those commercials as I do for political commercials in an election year.
Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not one of those vacation haters. I always look forward to the holiday season, and like Linus van Pelt from ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas,’ I try to remember that the special day in December is about more than just presents, eggnog, and trying to outdo the neighbors with decorations. And that, I think, is part of the key to avoiding the Christmas blues.
The birth of Jesus has changed the world. Even those who choose not to believe cannot escape the fact that this single life has managed to alter almost everything. For those who believe, we remember his birth as the beginning of our own spiritual birth. An angel of the Lord’s message to Joseph, recorded in the New Testament, sums it all up nicely for us: “…you shall call his name JESUS, for he shall save his people from his sins.”
Keeping the focus on the true meaning of Christmas can help us avoid overemphasizing what society has done to the simple celebration of a blessed event. It could help us avoid fighting over a parking space at the mall or give us the necessary patience as we watch someone with five kids trying to control them as they unload a couple of shopping carts full of stuff at the checkout counter.
Too many people expect something magical to happen during the holidays and end up getting run over emotionally when it doesn’t. They start with unrealistic expectations. These might include hoping that an ex-romantic partner will return to them, that a family feud will work itself out, that a biological father will be located, or that the boss will finally realize how blessed he is to have you in the office and give him that well deserved five or six figure bonus. Keep your expectations in line with reality.
The magic of Christmas has already been delivered to us in the form of a Savior who was born of a virgin and, years later, died on the cross for our sins. He was God’s gift to humanity. There is nothing better than that. Remembering that gift can help ease our own emotional pain if we’re not feeling the love we think we should feel during the holidays. One way to feel love is to share it.
Instead of worrying about whatever is spinning around in our brains while we watch others who seem to be enjoying the Christmas season more than we are, we should put the Scrooge out of ourselves and start getting into the true spirit of Christmas. Bring some groceries to a family in need. Take an elderly or disabled person shopping. Bring some Christmas cookies, candy or small gifts and hand them out. Offer them to those at the store who buy just the essentials, to the people at the library who are looking for books to keep their kids from feeling too low over the holidays because there’s no money for gifts, or to those at your church who have the look. that says Santa won’t be visiting this year.
Give until I help you. Volunteer at a local food bank or homeless shelter. Visit people at retirement or health care centers and get ready to sing some Christmas carols. Offer a ride to someone from your church who wants to attend holiday services but doesn’t have a ride. If Christmas is about giving, start. What you will receive in return in terms of goodwill is priceless. Go out and share the joy. You never sit at home and get depressed.
Some people will always go overboard when it comes to the holidays and stores will keep selling Christmas until they take the last penny out of our pockets. That doesn’t mean we can’t get into the true spirit of Christmas, look forward to the holidays as a time to remember God’s gift, give back to others some of the good things we’ve received all year, and enjoy the season. . We can do this without relying on massive amounts of decorations, the biggest Christmas tree in the neighborhood, or a house full of presents as the motivating force behind our joy.