I can’t believe it’s December! I don’t think any other month of the year goes by as quickly as December does. With all the holiday shopping and parties and family gatherings, I want to make sure I also truly appreciate the holiday season. For the past few months, I’ve been stressing about the gifts I need to get my very large family. For months! And I realized today that maybe that’s ridiculous. Gift-giving is an expression of love, especially for me it seems, but increasing the amount of stuff everybody owns isn’t the true purpose of Christmas. Or any other holiday, I’m guessing. As a Christian, this time is significant because of the child born and the good he brought to the world. It’s significant because of the sacrifice that child grew up and made for me. It’s significant because without it, we wouldn’t have our Savior. Of course, December isn’t just a time for Christian celebration; many faiths celebrate during this month as well. And I like to think that’s something to unite us, not divide us. We all own and contribute to the warmth and love of December.
As far as my faith goes, I’d like to make this December more personally significant. And even if you aren’t Christian, you can’t go wrong following the example of Christ. Giving of your time and substance, cherishing those around you, and above all, spreading love, peace, and joy to the world. Not hate or judgment or fear for as we all know too well, the world has plenty of those. More than enough.
Don’t get me wrong, the gift-giving is fun. Picking the perfect outfit for a holiday party is too. And I’ll talk about those plenty this month, don’t you worry. There’s a lot to enjoy in December and I don’t think we should feel bad for taking part in the less serious aspects of the holiday season. It is a time to feel joy, after all. But I don’t ever want to forget what this season should really be about for me. Because it’s not just about the year ending or getting dressed up or finding the perfect gift. After all, we’ve already been given the perfect gift. A savior, a man, a child born on a starry night to bring love and peace to the world.
Happy Sunday, everybody. And Happy December too.
