Get rid of the Bah-Humbugs

Here's something that's been bothering me a little bit lately. I'm getting tired of people complaining about Christmas. It seems more and more I am talking to folks who are stressed out over shopping, family, wrapping gifts, and just the Christmas season in general. I was in Lowe's two days ago and "Happy Holidays" was playing over the in-store music system. The employee who was helping me said, "I am sick of Christmas music."

I understand that for many people Christmas is a lot more stressful than it is for me. I also know that for some folks Christmas naturally brings on mild depression. I don't want to discount those real problems, but I think sometimes we set ourselves up for disappointment. We want to create the perfect Christmas where the kids get everything they want, all the family gets along, and the house is decorated like the ones you see on TV. When we do that, stress and feelings of inadequacy will naturally follow.

I read Luke chapter 2 frequently every December. I'm always amazed at how simple the first Christmas was. Just a man and woman weary from traveling and their new born Son making the best out of less than ideal conditions. Oh and by the way, the baby happened to be God in the flesh. All the cheesy sayings about remembering the true meaning of Christmas always make me laugh (Keep Christ in Christmas, Jesus is the reason for the season, etc.), but if Christmas has become a chore for you that you dread to see coming and can't wait for it to be over, you really should remind yourself that it is all about God coming to earth because He loves you. Don't let all that has to be done steal your joy in these last 5 days until December 25. Do the same thing Joseph and Mary did that night, make the best out of something that normally would cause you stress. Maybe reading Luke 2 everyday will help.