This is a wonderful time of the year but there is loads of pressure, loads of things to do and loads of expectations. Christmas seems to be a family fun time but also can be uncomfortable, confusing and a nice if not annoying hassle. It is time to run around, decorate the house and tree, hanging up the lights, shop for all the food, wrap all the presents, write the cards, get the children calm, keeping up with the government advice, put the candles on and be in the kitchen until the doorbell rings. It is a strange time of the year but time to spend with friends and family and to show them how wonderful and special they are to us and how they make a difference in our lives even if they are not able to be around the table with us.
It seems to be a huge lead with so much excitement, so many carols and so many cards and then suddenly in a blink of an eye the day seems to be over, the families have gone home, the presents have been opened, the tummies are full and it is time to unwind, it is time to put everything away and time to get back to the normal routine whatever that happens to be. Christmas is meant to be a relaxing joyful time but most of the time it is rushing around to see family members, and not taking a minute to breath and have a break. We need to stop and think about the greatest gift that has ever been given to us and what that means. I feel like we get lost in the worldly way of Christmas and what the shops want us to do, buy and make rather than thinking about our families and ourselves and that the festive season, no matter what the world says, is all about Jesus coming down to earth.
There are so many reasons for people to hate this time of the year, families not getting on very well, strained relationships, children not having a routine, spending above our means, going into debt, having to work out who is going where, having to create a Christmas present list, needing to write endless amount of cards and so much more. It seems a real waste of time considering it is only for one day. I like the idea of buying presents for other people and seeing their reactions but the thought always goes through my head of do they really need it or have they just said it for the sake of it. It doesn’t really go through my head if they need anything but I like to show my appreciation and I want them to know that they are loved.
We seem to stress over the fact that every single person including the babies need to have a present. It is good to remind people that we love them and we are here but why not show it to them everyday rather than just having one or two days in the year. At Christmas we are not celebrating their life like their birthday but instead making it all about the world and what the world wants us to do. Most people don’t understand why we even have Christmas, why we give presents, why we see family. There is two words to describe this time of the year and that is Jesus Christ. He is the greatest present that has ever been given to both you and I, He is the present that we are able to have all the time, we can have Him in our hearts and He can help us to have a better life and to improve and guess what you are able to share Him too-you can tell other people about Him!
Jesus was the gift that God gave to us, Jesus was the present that we didn’t want but we were still given, Jesus was the present that was given with no financial cost, Jesus wasn’t just given for certain people but for everyone, Jesus was a gift from God himself. Jesus came into this world and we should be grateful for the greatest gift of all. Jesus is the present that we don’t have to unwrap, Jesus is the present that we don’t have to just accept at Christmas time but we can accept at anytime of the year. We don’t have to wait for people to be with us but instead we can accept Jesus into our lives and we can change over time. It won’t just happen overnight but it will happen in a gradual way.
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