It all started when I told Jeff I just wasn't feeling in the Christmas spirit this year. A lot of times the closer it gets to Christmas, the more overwhelmed and stressed I become, rather than peaceful and calm, sound familiar? That, along with the fact that the days leading up to Christmas it was almost 80 degrees outside, made it feel even less Christmassy (yes that's a word). I love the cold. I love bundling up, seeing Christmas lights, ice-skating, fires, romantic or meaningful Christmas movies, fun games, and cozy nights with hot chocolate and a good book. And there was hardly any of that this year. Barely any lights, 80-degree weather (hardly puts you in the mood for hot chocolate), no ice-skating rink, no need for fires (and no fireplace even if there was), and no corny Christmas movies on Lifetime (we don't have cable). It seemed to me that many other people were experiencing the same lack of Christmas spirit since very few people put up Christmas lights this year and everyone I came in contact with in stores seemed rushed and frazzled. As I thought about this, I realized that not only had the things we associate with Christmas failed to get me in the Christmas spirit, but the real reason for Christmas hadn't even hit me yet. Even after Jeff talked about preparing for Christmas in his talks on Wednesdays, I still found myself unmoved. Christ's story is amazing and I was not standing in awe.
I realized then that part of the reason I wasn't feeling excited about Christmas is because I miss so many people. Moving to Florence has been great, and we love the people here, but I longed to see the people near and dear to my heart in Fort Mill and Charlotte. Christmas is not just about presents or decorations, it's about community and enjoying Christmas together. It's about laughing and playing and knowing you all know and understand the real reason for Christmas-that Christ was born to fulfill His purpose here on earth so that we, as a Body, as a Family, as a Church can stand together and know that one day we will live in eternity together in the presence of the Lord! I found myself longing for a silent night, away from all the buzz and hubbub of commercial Christmas. A night to contemplate what Christ really did for us. And then I found myself humming Silent Night. And the words finally hit me:
Silent night, holy night. All is calm, all is bright.
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace
When I used to listen to it, the way the song goes, the "Sleep in heavenly peace" part almost seemed to be tagged on. I never read it as a sentence. Round yon Virgin Mother and Child, Holy Infant so tender and mild, sleep in heavenly peace. They sleep in heavenly peace. And we, too, can sleep in heavenly peace. Now we live in heavenly peace because Christ the Savior was born. We don't live like we have heavenly peace. When troubles come our way, when life seems to be crashing down around us, when we lose people dear to us, and become anxious and stressed, which especially comes out during the Christmas season, we don't live like we believe we are saved and God is in control. So how do we expect for one month out of the year to live in heavenly peace? We wonder why we are frazzled and stressed and unfeeling about Christmas, but it's not just because we can't get into the "Christmas spirit". It's because we haven't been living in the Spirit of Christ. How then do we expect to automatically be ready for Christmas emotionally and spiritually?
"Christmas spirit" is not something we come upon only in December or conjure up by throwing parties, decorating, or going and looking at lights. All those things are great ways to celebrate the holiday and remember what Christ has done, but they cannot make us stand in awe of Christ nor can they create the Spirit of Christ in us. It can only be the other way around. The Spirit of Christ in us helps us to see the majesty of the Christmas season, of the great thing that He did for us. Without His Spirit in us, we cannot truly or fully understand and comprehend what Christmas is all about. If we are not living in the Spirit, in heavenly peace, the other eleven months of the year, how should we expect to live in it on Christmas? We cannot. So I would encourage you, if you were not feeling the "Christmas spirit" this year, ponder what Christ has done for you and the blessings and good He sees fit to give you throughout the year. And don't cease to ponder it after December 25th has come and gone. Continue to ponder it for the rest of your life. Then perhaps next Christmas, instead of relying on or expecting that hanging the lights or decorating the Christmas tree or attending parties or going ice skating will get us into the Christmas spirit, we can let all those things be an outpouring of the Spirit of Christ in us, as believers in Christ, that we already have and that we carry with us twelve months out of the year.
Merry Christmas everyone!! Enjoy family and friends, fires (now that it's cold enough), presents, lights, music and fun! And may you always remember the most important part, that one day--because Christ came to us as a baby and grew up as a man, lived a perfect life and died for us to take our sins so that when we believe in HIm we will not be enemies with God any longer--we will all celebrate together with Him for eternity!
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