Un-Grinching

It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes, or bags.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before.
"Maybe Christmas doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas..."
He thought, 

 "...means a little bit more." -Dr. Suess from How the Grinch Stole Christmas 

 

Cecelia's absolutely favorite Christmas movie is The Grinch with Jim Carey.  As a matter of fact, we watch it ALL YEAR LONG... sometimes more than once in a day. After we made Christmas cookies on Saturday, we "taste-tested" them with some hot chocolate as we once again watched The Grinch.  I know the movie quite well now! 

It's easy to be a grinch at this time of year.  We all see the greed but find it difficult not to participate in it to some level or another.  We know it is not about the packages, boxes or bags and yet we are all out there with our packages, boxes and bags.  It has become infused into our society.  Christmas equals commercialism.  The rush of shopping and the endless list of invitations and activities of the season causes us stress and we take it out on those we love and tempers flare.  It's enough to make a grinch out of anyone.

That is why it is so important to step back and take a deep breath.  Take a few minutes each day for some time with God in worship, prayer, devotion and/or study.  Read the ancient prophecies from Isaiah and the other prophets about the hope of the coming of Christ.  Santa and snowmen are fine, but make the manger scene and the Christ child central to your Christmas motif.  But don't just decorate with it... ponder it.  Holy Cross has Advent worship each Wednesday night.  Come and take that deep breath with church family.

It's easy to get carried away with the hoopla, but what if the Grinch really did come and "steal" Christmas this year?  What if there were no gifts or trees or feasts?  Would Christmas loose its meaning for us or would we still join in Christmas community to sing Joy to the World?  And would the Grinch say that our singing was "both jubilant AND joyful?" 

Father,

Some of our hearts are feeling grinch-like at this time of year.  Maybe it's because we don't have the money to participate as we would like, or maybe a loved one is missing this year or maybe we are just tired of the greed and commercialism.  Whatever the cause, help us to slow down, take a breath and feel the real joy in the true meaning of Christmas.  Amen.

Joys:  Baking and decorating Christmas cookies with Cecelia; Seeing Christmas through the eyes of a child; Chelsea's help in my Sunday school class.