The Christmas decorations have come down. The last of the excess food has been eaten or otherwise disposed of. The house suddenly looks big and empty and all trace of the Christmas guests has disappeared.
It was all over so quickly.
So what was that all about?
Christmas is the big event of the winter. It gets the children excited, it pulls the family together, all the shops get decked out and even the streets are lit up for the occasion. But if it doesn’t make any lasting change, then it’s worthless.
Sometimes, the results of Christmas are good. We need those free days off after the slog through November and December. The rest does us good. The presents and the celebrations make us feel good about people. It enhances our relationships. Lots of children feel the benefit of Christmas generosity and many charities record a peak in giving at that time of year. We all need that sort of break/celebration to keep us going through the rest of the year.
Sometimes the results of Christmas do not feel so good. Divorce lawyers have learnt to expect record numbers of people asking to start divorce proceedings just after Christmas. Being cooped up with relatives for days on end can exacerbate the difficulties in family relationships, rather than help, if we’re not careful. Bank balances suffer as a result of the pressure to give ever bigger and better presents. (How anyone can find either the money or the incentive to visit the January sales is beyond my understanding!)
So was it good or bad for us? Are we any different now, in 2008, because of Christmas 2007? We might all have different answers to that question but we are certainly better off because the real Christmas happened. Jesus came. As we work through the months that follow Christmas, we follow His life. We see how He grew up, just like we do, in a family, in a normal town, with a trade to occupy His waking hours… and a love for us that is greater than we can understand.
It’s Jesus who really changes things. Christmas was worth celebrating for that reason and all the other things that went along with it were mostly good too.
And now?
Now we learn to live with Jesus. Let’s make this a year to grow and to discover more of Him.
Liz
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