Is your Christmas tree still up? Mine is. I’m a ‘leave it up until after New Year’s’ kind of gal. I don’t like to let go of Christmas and that got me thinking.
What is it about Christmas time that feels SO good? Why are people more social, kinder and more generous? Why do we make time for family, carry out traditions and sing more? Now I know that we would all say that the spirit of Christmas and celebrating the birth of Christ is central to it all, but if that’s the truth, wouldn’t the ‘reason for the season’ keep us celebrating all year long?
I was out doing some 75% off shopping yesterday (isn’t it crazy, it used to be 50%) and I saw a couple of young men set up outside of Target. They had sleeping bags the ground and their ‘stuff’ with them. They had a sign asking for money. I watched lots of people walk right by them without giving them or their needs a second thought. I wondered, “Would they have given them money yesterday? Christmas day? I bet they would have.” I pulled out a few bills and handed them to one of the young men, he said “God bless you.” I thought, ‘Oh, He already has.’
And I know the big debate about whether or not to give money to the people sitting on the corner with a sign asking for money. My husband and I have a couple of reasons we donate to those folks. 1. Years ago we heard a sermon from our pastor of many years, Gerald Marvel, He said this, “We don’t know what they will use the money for but don’t we all agree if they are sitting there desperate enough to beg for our change, they must be better off than we are?” and 2. The work my husband does in Drug Court in Clark County has taught us so much about the needs of others. I’m so thankful for that.
But back to Christmas spirit. What would your life look like if you could truly “keep Christmas” in your heart ALL YEAR LONG? Would you experience more love and connection? (which is what we’re are looking for) Would you continue to feel the warm glow that you get from giving? Would you find that a heart that keeps Christmas all year long would sing more often? I bet you would. I think if we would be intentional about it, we could make it happen. So what would that intentionality look like?
Here’s a few thoughts to help keep Christmas all year long:
- Find an organization to volunteer for consisitently. (I’m close to this one) http://www.givingcloset.org
- Set dates on your calendar to invite extended family to share a meal together.
- Buy some $5 gift cards for fast food restaurants to keep in your glove box to give to the homeless.
- Give gifts to loved ones for no reason at all.
- Put white lights in a tree to turn on any time you want.
- And maybe most important, DO remember the reason for the season, the celebration of the HOPE that Christmas represents for every one of us.
Whether you are a ‘take down the tree on the 26th person’ or a ‘leave it up until New Years’ kind of guy or gal,’ I hope that you will think about keeping Christmas in your heart every day of 2018!
Merry Christmas… today and everyday,
Letha
