 I've wanted to write a blog about Christmas this whole month. In fact, I had four blogs I wanted to get out, but I was so stuck on this one, and I couldn't get past it. December should be a season of advent, and hopeful expectations, and as a writer, I really wanted a post about the true meaning of Christmas. But here's the thing Christmas is not my favorite holiday, not by a long shot. It probably doesn't even make my top 5 favorite holidays of the year, and to all my readers out there who are about to stop reading this post because "How dare she say such a thing," bare with me, I promise I'm not the grinch. And the more I put my thoughts into words, the more I didn't like the way I sounded. Cue Sunday Morning's Message. "Do you want to see through the mess? Try some humility. That's why you can't see the glory of God because you're too proud and too stubborn. You don't listen, and you won't look." "Okay. that hurt." I thought to myself. "Maybe you need to take directions without complaining for once, or maybe you need to look at someone else's needs before clamoring to have your own met." "Okay, that really stings." "If you want God to do something great in your life, it won't come through pride. It will come through humility. So ask God 'What do I need to get a humble perspective on." At this point, I'm literally rolling my eyes. "Because when you ask that question, you put God on his throne, and sitting in second place next to God is a good place to be." And finally, I got it, the reason I couldn't write about Christmas. The reason I didn't like how I sounded, was because I sounded awful. Christmas was all about me, me, me and my, my, my. The original post, was all about how hard Christmas is because of everyone else, because of everyone's schedule, everyone's gifts, everyone in my way at the mall. When really, it was hard because I stood in my way. Do you think Jesus had that in his mind as a baby? Imagine this, baby Jesus in a manager, completely pleased with himself because He has come to Earth all for the purpose of creating a holiday all about Himself. In fact, He got a whole book all about himself. All the glory to Jesus forever and ever. Amen. But that couldn't be further from the truth. Jesus didn't come for Christmas, and even if He did, I don't think He'd be pleased with the current result, because I hope I'm not the only one out there who struggles with finding the true meaning of Christmas behind the false packaging. Writing your own gift list, your own grocery list, preparing your own house. It's all about you. So yes, God wants the glory of sending His one and only son, but He only wants it if we realize we He deserves it. Because He could have saved us in a second, but instead He sent a child. "He who is the Creator became a creature. He who is eternal allowed Himself to be bound by time. He who is clothed in majesty was born in an animal trough. He who had spoken whole words and galaxies into existence had to depend on baby cries to communicate." That is the true meaning of Christmas. So yes, bring out the Christmas trees, and the gifts. Get out your snowmen, and Christmas lights. But if you're anything like me, unless you let God become greater in your life than yourself, there's absolutely no way to see the true beauty behind Christmas. That God so loved humankind and this earth, He sent His son, His real and physical human child, to this earth, and the best part is, we didn't even have to ask Him to. He did it because He loves us, and He wants more for us than the messiness that is Christmas time. So let Jesus have the seat at His throne this holiday season, and enjoy being in second place. |