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| My Wreath Made At Craft Night At The Public Library |
There is something to be said for getting back to the basics. This year I have not put a tree up and probably won't. So far, I have not sent out Xmas cards, and may decide not to. And, I personally am O.K. with that. After spending 2 Xmas' in the hospital with mom either dealing with cancer or in a coma, I realized all the money in the world, and all the presents under the tree, were not going to make things better. Santa was not going to be able to fix anything. But I knew who Jesus was, and that He by all means could. I knew Jesus could heal my mom, He would visit me wherever I was at, and that He would love me whether I was naughty or nice-preferably nice, and I could have joy-maybe not happiness 365 days a year. My family is now down to drawing names, setting a limit on how much we spend, with the option of buying each other trinket gifts. I understand who St. Nicholas was, and his principle behind gift giving. I know who Santa wasn't, because it is a fictional character. I simply don't let retailers momentum behind buying gifts in the name of Santa supersede my celebration of the birth of Christ.
Now that I have been released from giving gifts or receiving gifts at Xmas under the premies of changing someone else's world or my own with a material gift, I'm finally at a place of enjoying Christmas. Oh, I still love the look of a beautiful Xmas tree and I love the Xmas light displays around town and around the world. I don't believe anyone is bowing in worship of their decorated Christmas tree, that I know of, or praying to any tree god or goddess. However, I'm no longer buying into the myth that if I don't have a Xmas tree bedazzled with bling, I will have a depressed or a second rate Christmas. I really hate that I fell for that train of thought once upon a time. And I feel sad, if I contributed to some one else feeling that way by making a big deal that it wasn't Christmas if there wasn't a hugh, bedangled, over the top, decorated tree in every home in the neighborhood. Now days, I have a chosen charity that I contribute to before Christmas. It is a worthy charity, I know the persons behind the scenes, and they have a solid grasp on the reason for celebrating December 25th. That brings to mind another belief of mine, I personally don't think the Trinity minds that we are not celebrating Jesus' birth according to the "correct" date. What I believe, is that by universally celebrating one day as the birth of Christ, where we thank Him for sharing His son with the world, so that together thru Him, we could have the opportunity of becoming one with God is the real reason for the season.
Like I said in the title of this note, I went thru a lot to get to this point. God has a way of making good on the bad experiences we have had in this life. I absolutly do not want anyone to feel as though they have to agree with me in how I approach Christmas. This is an individual approach based upon my own journey. But it feels good to be free of chains that bind leading up to, and the days after Christmas(zero bank debt, no credit card balance to pay off, & no one to impress.) I celebrate a secular Xmas in a small way, and I celebrate a Christain Christmas honoring the birth of Jesus Christ, who is my Savior. I also no longer get caught up on whether it is Xmas or Christmas. I guess what I have allowed God to do is release me from the mental and social chains that bound me, so that I could love Him, His Son the Christ, and those around me in a differnt way and on a different level.
Merry Christmas everybody!
Enjoy the below link of Linus relaying the real meaning of Christmas to Charlie Brown!
Enjoy the below link of Linus relaying the real meaning of Christmas to Charlie Brown!
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