Well, it can be if you slow down, unplug, relax and take the time to take it in and be mentally and spiritually present for the opening of the presents. When you are overworked, overwhelmed and overrun with the stresses of everyday life already, Christmas can seem like the straw that broke the donkey’s back. (I know that a camel is normally used in this cliché but being that we are discussing Christmas, a donkey just seemed more appropriate)
It’s not until you are forced to stop the insanity and listen to the jingle bells that Christmas really starts to take shape and mean what it should. The fact that society has added so many layers to the simple celebration of the Greatest Gift given means it really takes a conscious effort to quiet the noise and step out of the fast lane. Christmas plain and simple is Christ.
It took an entire week away from the office to finally wake up and feel the quiet that Christmas should bring. Now, on Christmas Eve, I feel the weight of the birthday we are celebrating and the excitement and nervous anticipation that I always felt as a child. Had I not taken the time away I never would have awakened this sense of wonder and Christmas would have come upon me as any other over planned and busy day. It would have caused additional stress instead of a sense of peace. I am thankful for the opportunity to have had the time off, and for the blessing of a family to spend the time with. Having young children this time of year is amazing, simply amazing. The joy of giving will be tangible tomorrow as the boys come down the steps and wipe their eyes, rushing in to see what Santa left under the tree. Coffee will be brewed. Gifts will be exchanged. Kisses given. Pictures taken. And somewhere in the mix between the ripping wrapping paper and the excited laughter it will hit me that my kids are experiencing the same magic that I did 30 odd years ago. The amazing feeling of celebrating Christ’s birthday by getting and giving the gifts ourselves. Even now 2011 years later, He is still celebrating Himself by giving to others. Amazing.
I hope you and your family have an amazing Christmas, that you are able to quiet the world around you for long enough to hear Christmas, and that the gifts you give are a true expression of the love you live.
Merry Christmas!
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