Christmas
"Chestnuts roasting on an open fire
Jack Frost nipping at your nose
Yuletide carols being sung by a choir
And folks dressed up like Eskimos
Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe
Help to make the season bright
Tiny little tots with their eyes all aglow
Will find it hard to sleep tonight
They know that Santa's on his way
He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh
And ev'ry mother's child is gonna spy
To see if reindeer really know how to fly…"
Admit it: you just traveled to someplace magic with me, while also actually hearing the tune of that song in your head.
Growing up, this has always been my favorite time of year. The decorating of the Christmas trees, the hot-apple cider, the music, the ambiance. If you're local to Mabank, you know that every year our street department hangs little Christmas flags from every light post on 198 to help nurture the sweet home-town feel of Christmas. Market Street hosts an "Ole Fashioned Christmas" every year, complete with fake snow, train rides, and a very believable Santa Claus. You can't fight the Christmas cheer here even if you wanted to.
Travel again with me:
"Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, 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, goodwill toward men" -Luke 2:8-14
Can you imagine, for a moment, what this moment must have been like? Jesus is born and an angel appears to announce Him. Scripture uses these words "heavenly host" meaning that there appeared an actual ARMY of angels in unfathomable numbers to bring worship upon the arrival of Jesus. Do your children know this story?
As a major year-round Christmas enthusiast, it might surprise you that I don't put a huge amount of emphasis on Santa Claus with my children. I don't spit on the idea or go to any crazy efforts to kill the idea that a fluffy man with a bag of gifts essentially breaks into our home every winter, but I know that they know that's not what we're celebrating. However, the pressure is there. It's there because we live in a world where social media and fishing for "likes" is our driving force. Because if we didn't post it on Facebook or Instagram, did it even happen? The answer is yes. Yes, it does. To your children and grandchildren, the magic is everything. The smell of the cinnamon rolls, The Grinch, the twinkling lights, the family time…it's still magic for them even if you don't let the whole world see.
My heart's cry this holiday season is that you slow down a little bit. Take your babies to the small-town Christmas festivities, hang the stockings, drink the cider, and do all of the Christmasy things that make it special. But, at the end of the day…remind them what we're actually celebrating. We're celebrating the birth of Jesus. We're celebrating the Savior of the world coming for you and for me to save us from an eternity in a fire-filled hell. The enemy hates any holiday that brings glory to Jesus and will be on the prowl this season. He's going to make every effort to steal your joy, kill family gatherings, and destroy your relationships and financial security. Say no now. Give Jesus the glory, and walk forward with your armor on and your head up.
#GPdoneonpurpose
