Where Does Christmas Go?

My living room has grown! Actually, it does seem bigger but the reason is that the Christmas tree is gone. Yesterday, I packed up and put away tree, ornaments, arrangements, Christmas gourds, and all the little electronic gadgets that play Christmas carols. I realize that many people leave everything up ’til January 6, celebrated by many as the date the Wise Men reached the Christ Child, but I like to get things put away and re-claim my house. I heard a radio host saying we rush Christmas, and should leave all the decorations up and enjoy them at least until Twelfth Night and the reason we grow tired of the decorations is that we put them up so early. He may have a point because, as you know, many stores put out Christmas merchandise before Halloween. We rush through Thanksgiving because everything is geared to getting to Christmas.

What do I say about all this? I stay, Stop! We are rushing through life. It’s a thought pattern that I believe has been ingrained into us by commercialism. Each holiday, each non-holiday, is to be savored for what it is–a day the Lord has given us. Every day is filled with opportunities and challenges and small miracles. Sometimes our way of life, of rushing and hurrying, and not ever having enough hours in the day causes us to miss the beauty of the most precious gift, the gift of time. Each of us has only so much time. Is it wise to use it in rushing from one event to the next or should we relax and enjoy each moment? Some of us have more in earthly wealth than others but no one has more time than the next person. We certainly should spend it wisely.

As you know, I love the early morning hours and I like to spend them in sharing my thoughts with you. I relish the pre-dawn quiet, a good cup of hot coffee, and the peace within and without but too many of those peaceful hours could turn into loneliness. I am blessed to have my children and grandchildren near and, more than the quiet of a new day, I treasure those moments of non-quiet spent with them.

And here is the really neat thing about Christmas–that feeling of good cheer, of hope and excitement can be ours all year-long. It doesn’t belong only to a certain time of the year. The birth of Christ and His love is with us, in our hearts in August as well as December.  Christmas is like that song I used to hear but haven’t heard in quite some time, “Go, Tell It On the Mountain”. Christ, the Lord is born. That truth may begin with Christmas but it doesn’t end with December.