My heart hurts when I hear, “It just doesn’t feel like Christmas.”
I get it; honestly, I do! But then again, I have to ask, “really?” How can that be? What does Christmas “feel” like anyway?
The Christmas season, as celebrated by our culture, can be challenging. The harsh reality of an empty chair drives grief levels off the charts. Tight finances, illness, complex family dynamics, and personal disappointment can bring melancholy as one compares her “Christmas” to those perfected on social media. Consequently, shadows of depression threaten to dim the light of the season.
Real Christmas
I beg you to hold on and hear my heart: none of that has anything to do with Christmas.
Christmas brings so much to love. Family time, festive decorations, and fun activities with friends –all bring a smile to my face. But I invite you to a deeper commemoration of Christmas. One that has nothing to do with all the bells and whistles of the culture’s celebration. Today, can we seek to feel the “real Christmas?” Can we celebrate the birth of the One who redeems us and reconciles our souls with our Creator God?
Where is the Christmas feeling?
Despite the chaos of our calendar “to-dos,” real Christmas is not found in many activities. It is found in the depth of our souls. “Feeling Christmas” happens when we join the angels singing glory hallelujah to the King of Kings. We experience it when we kneel in holy worship with the shepherds before the perfect Lamb of God. As Joseph considers how the birth of the Son of God will change his life, we contemplate how His birth provides us with the gift of eternal life. And like Mary, we ponder all these things in our hearts. Simultaneously, we allow the joy of the Savior to overcome the circumstances that otherwise threaten our joy.
Finding Christmas
Undoubtedly, the dynamics of our lives change as Christmases come and go. This Christmas may not feel like the holidays of your past. Cherish your Christmas memories; they are a gift. But don’t miss the opportunity to experience the joy of feeling Christmas. It’s found in worship. Angels and shepherds worshipped the baby Jesus, God’s only son, in a manger. We worship the same Jesus, our a risen Savior, Christ the Lord. Allow your worship of The Light to chase away any darkness that threatens to dampen your Christmas spirit.
I pray you will feel Christmas –REALLY feel it. Focus on the only thing that matters and celebrate Christ, the Lord.
Charlene Miller
Lean into Jesus Ministries
#charlenemillerblogs
