The Christmas season is a wonderful time of the year for some, but a terrible time for others. Some are happy. Others are depressed. Why? It is likely that we feel the way we feel about this season because of past experiences that imprinted or conditioned us in certain ways.
Rudy GrayI have had both depressive and joyful feelings about this season. My fondest memories are with my wife and three daughters. A tradition we started years ago was to have a Christmas Eve service at church, come home to a special meal, open a couple of gifts, read the Christmas story, share something we are thankful for, pray, and then enjoy a DVD (used to be a video) together. Christmas morning began with eating a special breakfast, opening the remaining gifts, and then taking off for grandparents. This year, our Christmas Eve tradition will change, but we will have even more people for Christmas Day.
Families should develop their own Christmas traditions, but those traditions will need to be adjusted or even changed as the years go by. We tried to reenact Luke’s account of Jesus’ birth when our children were young. I attempted to videotape it and play a role in the production. Our den became the manger scene and stuffed animals served as the livestock. Everything was going well, until one of our little girls recognized her doll in the manger. She was a shepherd and all of a sudden the shepherd took Jesus and ran down the hall! She might have actually added something to the homemade play because shepherds were a notorious lot in New Testament times.
I also remember another Christmas Day when I preached at the funeral service of my uncle. That was a different Christmas that year.
Everyone reading these words can think of past Christmases. Probably you can recall both pleasant and unpleasant things. The important thing is that we have this year’s Christmas to celebrate. We may not be here next year, but we have the present. All kinds of feelings are bound up with our Christmas season, but we can have a good Christmas. It all begins with our thoughts. We can change our feelings, but we must first change our thoughts. At Christmas, the most basic and overpowering thought we can use as a foundation for joy and celebration is found in one word: Immanuel – God with us! With that one great biblical word, you can build positive traditions. Merry Christmas!