This may sound ridiculous but the holiday season is sometimes the hardest time of the year to be a Christian. Stores and mega sellers have been advertising Christmas specials and Black Friday deals since October. The commercialization of Christmas is heartbreaking, especially when those profiting have tried to take Christ out of everything. Everything has a price and we are sold dreams and desires. We are made to believe that consumerism and stuff will make us “happy”. People have been trained by television to respond like Pavlov’s dog to the sound of the bell. People hear a jingle and whip out a credit card while Pavlov’s dog ran for the Alpo. I really want to know, how much is enough? How can we want more when we don’t appreciate what we have?Personally my favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. I am so blessed to have the freedom I have, to have the family I have, my health and so much more. I love the idea of gathering with family and friends to enjoy our blessings. To thank God for all the good things we have, to remember that all good things come from God, and to pray. It’s a simple holiday with God at its center. I love the service we have a church the night before Thanksgiving Day. We have a simple worship service based on thanking God for all he has done and giving him the praise he deserves with music, prayer and reflection. It is amazing what God can do in your life when you have a thankful heart. I love the story of the first Thanksgiving. In September of the year 1620 people suffered a two month journey to reach a new land so they could enjoy religious freedom. Their first winter in New England nearly wiped out half their colony. These people cried out to God in their suffering and he answered them by sending them two friendly native men to teach them how to live in this new and strange place. The next year they had a bountiful harvest and celebrated with their new found friends and their people. Ninety Wampanoag Indians and Fifty Pilgrims feasted, played and prayed giving thanks to God for all he has blessed them with. They endured many hardships but they didn’t forget to pray and thank God through their trials. Three American President signed Thanksgiving proclamations including George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Grover Cleveland. I believe Thanksgiving should be a bigger deal than it is but it lands right in between two of the biggest money makers in the retail world, Halloween and Christmas.
Don’t get me wrong I enjoy Christmas once I’m with my friends and family, but it’s the time leading up to Christmas that gets on my nerves. Commercials, ads, spam e-mails, the Church and Sate separators and the Happy Holiday Sayers are out in force right now and it is enough to drive you nuts. A friend of mine posted this poem on Facebook and it pretty much sums up how I feel right now.
MERRY CHRISTMAS! T'was the month before Christmas__When all through our land,__Not a Christian was praying__Nor taking a stand.__See the PC Police had taken away__The reason for Christmas - no one could say.__The children were told by their schools not to sing__About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.__It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say__December 25th is just a ' Holiday '.__Yet the....................................... ...shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit__Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!__CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-Pod__Something was changing, something quite odd!__Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa__In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.__As Targets' were hanging their trees upside down__At Lowe's the word Christmas - was nowhere to be found.__At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears__You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.__Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty__Are words that were used to intimidate me.__Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen__On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton !__At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter__To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.__And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith__Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace__The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded__The reason for the season, stopped before it started.__So as you celebrate 'Winter Break' under your 'Dream Tree'__Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.__Choose your words carefully, choose what you say__Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS ,__not Happy Holiday !__Please, all Christians join together and__wish everyone you meet__MERRY CHRISTMAS__Christ is The Reason' for the Christ-mas Season!__......pass it on if you like. :) MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!-Author Unknown.
The only gift I want for Christmas I have already received and that is Salvation. The only gift I want everyone I meet to have is to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) This was and is the greatest gift you will ever receive for Christmas or anytime. This is the reason of Christmas, the holiday season, and your existence in this life. Jesus is the reason.
