Whose celebration are you celebrating?
We give lots of answers to that question.
We celebrate for the kids,
For family.
For tradition
Because it’s the way we grew up.
When I begin to make my Christmas plans, my husband always tells me that I don’t have to do everything. I have learned that what he means is that he doesn’t want me tired and cranky after an overwhelming day of not getting everything up, or everything bought, or everything made.
He just wants me.
I think Jesus says the same thing. He doesn’t want to lose me in the excesses of the season. He doesn’t want His celebration tainted by things he never asked for. He just wants me.
He doesn’t want the tired me at the end of rushed, over-busy day. Or the frustrated me when best plans fail. Or the insecure me who overshot the time constraints for writing or speaking deadlines at Christmas
Jesus wants me, my attention, my ability to catch the true meaning of his incarnation.
He just wants me.
So whose celebration am I celebrating with all the decorations, the complicated menu, the pretty packages? If I’m honest, I mean really honest, I have to admit that most of the time it’s for me. It’s what I want.
That’s when Jesus sits down beside me and reminds me with a gentle whisper, “Remember, I came to a stable.”
I want to celebrate Jesus and everything he came to make right. If it doesn’t start with the way I celebrate Christmas, maybe that’s a bigger disconnect than I thought.