It’s Christmas season. Drag the decorations from the attic. Move furniture. Put the trees in place. Hang the wreaths outside. And the lights. The Health Club I go to has an inflatable dinosaur outside wishing me “Happy Holidays.” There’s house down the street, with a rattan deer on its front lawn with a life-like quizzical expression.
Then you have to buy gifts. Fortunately, Judy and I have enough “stuff” and have abandoned exchanging gifts with each other. But the anguish … “What do we buy the grandkids?” There’s even an exchange of gifts in the office; it has a maximum price. Now, not only do I have to worry about buying something the person would like, I have to find it at the right price. Root canal sounds like a better activity.
Wait a second, is the house all decorated? Yes. It looks beautiful. That silly rattan deer? Well, it’s still a silly rattan deer but I sort of smile when I see it.
What changed me? The trees my wife decorated, the wreaths on the windows, the candles? They remind me of something.
Christ came to earth: “…a Savior has been born to you” (Luke 2:11). The Son who “did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage” (Phil 2:6) came to earth to be my Savior. He eventually covered and paid the price for my sin. I am a member of God’s family because Jesus came to earth.
The house looks different during Christmas. It reminds me of Christ’s coming.
I’ve had a couple conversations with various people and asked them, “Do you like Christmas?” “Bah! Humbug!” is the response. Too much work. Inevitably they’ll ask me if I like it. I’ll answer honestly and say my first reaction to the season isn’t so positive. But then I quickly add, “But Jesus…” followed by, “Yes, I like Christmas.”
Let me encourage you to share the message of Christmas. Be bold. Be a messenger. Tell people why you really like it. Christ came to earth. The Savior is here.
That reminds me, I have to talk to a guy about his Happy Holidays dinosaur. See you on Sunday.
Ken Lont is GRC’s soon to be retired Executive Director.