We are here! The Christmas season has arrived! Not the one that comes at W***Mart the day after Halloween, when all of the decorations go up for sale and the marketers go crazy bidding for who will get the bulk of your Christmas fund…
I am talking about the "Deck The Halls - Joy To The World - We Wish You A Merry Christmas (not Happy Holidays)" season where the ideals of mankind momentarily change. While it is true that some find the holiday depressing, it is also true that it is not the holiday itself that is depressing. Rather, for some the holiday can serve to accentuate the desperation of their daily lives. I am fully convinced that although people say they want to avoid the holiday, they are really saying, "I do not want to be reminded of my situation." Yet what most people do not realize is that the more they avoid the holiday and keep to themselves while the it continues around them, the more time they spend focusing on their pain.
I believe that in reality, people are not looking to escape a holiday; they are looking for a cure to their pain. This has been defined even by the world for decades. Consider all of the movies that have been created with sad and desperate people just like the ones I am describing. It is amazing that they all find their way to a happy holiday ending! In real life, people say "That's a fairy tale" and yet, all too often I find people secretly looking for a fairy tale to come true in their life. They want a happy ending.
The way to a happy ending is to find joy in life, now.
If you always focus on the bad things, you will never pursue the goods things.
Psalm 126:5 reads. "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy." Sowing and reaping are a daily part of everyone's life. You are constantly planting something into someone, whether it is a material thing or a thought or idea. What this verse indicates is that even during the darkest of seasons, you must continue to live your life. Find something good -- some good ground -- and invest your life into it. The sorrow may rest in your heart. The tears may occasionally stream down your face. But, in the end, you will find joy!
How does one do this? You have to choose what is important to you. You must remember that God did not just take delight in us. He chooses to delight in us. He chooses to get excited over us. He does not quit when we fail, but delights when we overcome that failure. He keeps pressing on even when we disappoint Him. We are to be like that. Rather than waiting for the "Christmas Spirit" to sweep you away, choose to embrace it. Don't hide from the holiday, embrace it. Find a way to share the joy. Remember the greatest gift that was given to us; the life and love of Jesus. As He gave us life, we should also give life to others.
So DO IT! Deck the Halls! Offer Joy to the World! Wish someone a Merry Christmas! Choose to reach for a little joy in your life by investing some in someone else's life.
'TIS THE SEASON TO BE JOLLY!
