It has been one heck of a December this year.
From colds, to injuries, filing claims with the owners of my apartment for said injury, to the passing of my grandmother, to trying to make ends meet while missing work, flying to California and back for my grandma’s funeral, finishing up Christmas gifts, plus what seems like a million things in-between… and now I’m back to being sick again.
I won’t lie – I’m not feeling very merry and joyful this Christmas. In fact, it doesn’t feel like Christmas to me at all. Sure, there’s a tree up at the house of my parents… with beautifully wrapped presents around it. There are Christmas carols on the radio, and at church, and in the stores. There are Christmas lights twinkling in the neighborhoods and Christmas cards coming in the mail. Even with all these things shoved in my face, I just can’t get in to it, which is very abnormal for me. Christmas is my favorite time of the year, but with the all the hustle and bustle and craziness that has gone on this month, I’m just not there.
Tonight, as I was watching the Glee (believe it or not) Christmas episode, I was reminded of what Christmas is all about.
In this episode, the Glee club is asked to put on the Christmas Program for the local TV network. It’s full of singing, funny moments, and was actually filmed in black and white (which was pretty cool). At the end of their program, their fellow classmate, an Irishman by the name of Rory, was supposed to read “Frosty the Snowman” and then end the program with a song. Instead, Rory reads the Christmas story from the Bible.
Glee is known for pushing limits and dealing with a lot controversial issues (mainly focusing on the gay agenda), so it shocked me that they would put that in the episode.
What hit me was this: it doesn’t matter if I’m in the mood to decorate, or buy and wrap presents, or sing Christmas carols. All Christmas is about is the birth of Jesus. And that is something I should be celebrating each and every day – not only on December 25th! Even when times are tough and all the craziness of the world are bringing me down; I need to remember the real reason for this season.
“In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And) this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace among those with whom he is pleased!"
When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.”
Luke 2:8-20
