It’s that time of the year. Christmas. The season of holiday decorations and children’s anticipation. The season of twinkling lights and snowball fights – well at least on TV – not so much in the warm, sunny south – but I digress. It’s the season of parties galore and multiple trips to the store. A time for Christmas cheer with family and friends near. And Jesus. Let’s not forget Jesus!
Christmas is a busy season and we put so many expectations on ourselves and others, that we often lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas. One of the biggest stressors for many people is gift giving. Some people spend hours searching for the perfect gift. Others stress about the inability to give gifts due to financial constraints. Sometimes it’s those last-minute gifts that cause anxiety, and sometimes the struggle is with guilt over not having a gift for someone at all.
I remember a Christmas years ago that I significantly struggled. I was a stay-at-home mom, it had been a difficult year financially and I did not feel like celebrating at all. Had it not been for grandparents, our children would not have had gifts at all. I spent the season feeling sorry for myself and feeling jealous of those who seemed to be sailing through the season with no stressors at all. One day in prayer, God convicted me of my attitude, and I realized I had allowed the Grinch of commercialism to steal the true meaning of Christmas.
