I just got back from a flying visit to hug my sister-in-law. Life has been kind of hard for that part of our family in the last couple of months and she just plain needed a hug. Or, more accurately, I needed to give her one or six. It was a one night, less than 24 hours trip. Round trip – it was about seven hours of driving. It included my most unwelcome dogs (one of whom is 15, both of whom are sort of large) . I really needed to deliver some hugs. I didn’t have a dog sitter. She was gracious. What can I say? Sisters-in-law are among God’s most special gifts – especially when their husbands share a really quirky gene-pool.
As we were leaving this morning, her parting words resonated with my soul. “This year we will really be celebrating the true meaning of Christmas.” Her comment spoke to the lack of time before Christmas to simply “get it done”. This year the bundle of gifts for family, baked goods for friends, and that perfect something for a co-worker probably just won’t get done. Circumstances are simply eating the time. But what I heard resonated on a whole different level.
“The true meaning of Christmas.” The commercialism-free, holy celebration of the birth of Jesus. When the chips are down, that is where we turn for comfort. But sometimes we tend to forget that need when we are riding on top of the world. We get carried away with the gift-giving and the mania that tends to accompany the season. We lose our heartfelt thankfulness. We ride through the season on a wave of superficiality.
Today I am thankful for family. For the fantastic times. For the not so fantastic times and the way both kinds of times tend to draw us closer. I am especially grateful to a sister-in-law who reminded me of the true meaning of the season, helped me let go of the seasonal madness and made me think about those words all day.
Anybody else need that kind of reminder?
It is Christmas Eve, and I am needing that reminder more and more. I heard someone say today, "I'm just ready for Christmas to be over and life to get back to normal." The hustle and bustle to buy, buy, buy and the commercialism I can live without, but not Christmas! Tonight we are being reminded of true spirit of giving, as we celebrate the birth of Jesus. He gave us the most important gift, Himself. I want to celebrate that gift of a relationship with Him. I want to live and share what that relationship means to me. I want to ACT like I've been to church tonight!! I want to ACT like that every day, not just during Christmas, but all year. I am not ready for Christmas to be over...I want it to last all year long!!!
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