I’m tired after Christmas. For those of us who take a primary role in orchestrating the holiday festivities, the Christmas aftermath arrives with a backorder of fatigue.
When I was younger, I often got sick by January – a clear sign that I wasn’t managing the workload as well as I should have. Multiple years of Christmas-making have taught me how to plan better and more realistically. I had to learn to distinguish between what I wanted to accomplish and what was essential to making the celebration appropriately special. I have attained greater efficiency over the years, but I still put in a lot of hours making Christmas into something my family can delight in.
The goal of making Christmas a cherished and special time is well worth the effort.
Of course, it’s easy to get caught putting the emphasis on the wrong things. Fretting over finding “perfect” gifts, or the “right” cards or decorations or recipes can steal time from maintaining an awareness of interpersonal dynamics that can and often does lead to unnecessary drama during the supercharged season. It’s a tall order to get the balance right. How can we ever do it without God’s help?
But with God’s help we can create for our loved ones an enduring point of memory and yearly anticipation about this wonderful holiday. In that way, Christmas can become an important gateway to faith – not only for children but also for anyone who is new to belief in Jesus. The marketplace is sold on Christmas simply because it provides a reason for people to buy. Christians need to observe the holiday not merely as an opportunity to tell our story, but also a way to live out our message of peace, joy, and goodwill.
Keeping the celebration in step with the One we celebrate against a cultural backdrop of consumerism and self-indulgence requires extra-thoughtful man-hours (and let’s face it – a lot of woman-hours!). It is holy work, but like most holy work, it’s pretty invisible to the un-spiritually attuned eye.
In the afterglow of Christmas immediately past, I take this moment to salute the ones God calls to make Jesus’ birthday a special day for all to enjoy. Remember that the Lord smiles into the weariness – “Thanks for doing it again!”
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