The celebration of the Christmas season in our time commences with the celebration of Thanksgiving (except on Madison Avenue where it follows hard on the heels of Halloween). The historic Christian church (which knew nothing of Pilgrims, Indians, and turkeys) began the Christmas season on the first Sunday of Advent (four Sunday's before Christmas proper). Nonetheless, I believe our modern holiday of Thanksgiving is a very good place to start the Christmas festivities because a thankful heart is essential to Christmas. In the Bible, thankfulness and Christmas are closely connected. For example, Luke 2:36 - 38 recounts the story of Anna who had spent her whole life waiting to see Jesus. When Anna at last sees the baby Jesus, the Bible says that Anna "...gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all...." Anna celebrated Christmas with a glad and thankful heart.
Anna was glad and thankful...what about us? We are still eating our Thanksgiving dinners reincarnated into turkey soup, turkey tetrazini, and turkey sandwiches, is this slow trytophan-drip reviving us or do we feel our thankfulness slipping away? If our thankfulness is drooping, I believe it is in part due to the inappropriate weight our culture places on the giving and receiving of Christmas presents. When we become so obsessed by the presents under the tree, we often become oblivious to the Child asleep in the manger who is the heart and soul of Christmas. If we lose the heart and soul of Christmas, no amount of presents will bring us Christmas cheer and our thankfulness will be lost too.
What then shall we do? Listen to Sheryl Crow. I know...but bear with me. One of the best suggestions for being more thankful comes from Sheryl Crow's excellent and upbeat song, "Soak Up the Sun." The lyrics condense one secret of being more thankful:
It's not having what you,
It's wanting what you've got.
This is a wonderful spiritual flu-shot against the 'gift-giving-and-receiving super-flu-germ' that tries to infect us and wear down our thankfulness and Christmas joy. Sheryl Crow has it just right: instead of focusing on getting the presents you want, focus on wanting the presents you already have. Every good and perfect gift is from God (James 1:17). Look around you every day at every good gift you have. As a trivial example, I have perfectly fine tube-television set. Many of my friends and neighbors are replacing their perfectly fine tube-sets with flat-panel, high-def models. I admit it...I have thought about buying one too (perhaps even coveted one...God forgive me). But as I write this, I find myself very thankful for the TV I have. I think I will keep it! I realize this is a trivial example. There are much greater gifts I have been given for which I can be thankful. I have a home. I have a job. I have two healthy sons. I have people who love me whom I love in return. As I write this, I find myself not only very thankful...but very much in the Christmas Spirit.
The secret to thankfulness is not to have what you want, but to want what you have.
Peace!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
I sure agree about being satisfies and grateful with what you have. I drive 2 somewhat older vehicles..a 97 and a 2002. I'm very grateful I have no car payments.
We also have the old tv tube type television, it has integrated circuits as opposed to vacuum tubes but it is still quite old. I actually spent quite a bit of time researching new flat screen HDTVs. I had the money to buy one but ended up deciding that the old TV was good enough and the HD could wait until it died. I'll visit Best Buy again in 10 years if I'm lucky!
Janis Joplin once said that action is the antidote to despair - and I believe that by counting my blessings, I am able to actively keep despair away when I feel the struggles today. So much is said about the economic crisis and the potential disasters and so on - but how often are we encouraged in our society to be hopeful? The only time that I feel the message every day is the advent season - how grateful I am as I watch It's a Wonderful Life or Miracle of 45th street! Of course, I am watching them on a top of the line 52" flatscreen television :)
A new way to start Lent and prepare for Christmas is at No Room at the Inn, sponsored by Church of the Redeemer in Mechanicsville. It's this weekend, Dec 6 & 7 and open to everyone! Info about the close to 200 loaned Nativity sets on display at churchredeemer.org & InRich.com. Activities for children as well.
Thanks Rev. Long.
I love the Janis quote Barbara posted "action is the antidote to despair."
I also love tarheels suggestion about No Room at the Inn...I have a busy weekend but I may try to squeeze it (er) inn.
hope floats...hope sustains...hope invigorates.....even on my darkest day, i remember hope...maybe that is what is at the heart of a Christian...always hoping...shel
Post a Comment