Christmas is Over - What Next?

This was the title of the sermon at church this morning. It was good. It was applicable. You know that feeling you have after a big event that has been much anticipated? The let down feeling that kind of leaves you looking around and realizing that all the fun and all the food has dissolved into one remaining thing - MESS!

If you are the adult in the situation, you especially know the feeling. In the movies when a beautiful, delicious Christmas dinner is served, there are tinkling glasses and flickering candles. Everyone smiles, chats, and eats. Laughter rings around the table and everyone shares their favorite Christmas memory. Then, POOF! - new scene.

At home, however, there is often rushing around to get the food on the table, bickering about who is going to set the table, and then when the meal is over only one thing remains - MESS. Sticky, dirty dishes, food all over the floor and every pot in the house full of the scum of remaining food.

I am not trying to be Scrooge here. Just realistic, because unreal expectations are often what makes our "big" events such a letdown. Unreal expectations and selfishness. We had a beautiful Christmas, with my mother in law in town, our kids playing nicely (except when they didn't), and my super trooper husband loading and reloading the dishwasher at least three times a day. We also had great fun opening our presents and piling the garbage can heaping full with the remains of half eaten boxes (remember we have a baby) and torn wrapping paper.

What I did realize this year, however, and thankfully I realized it in time to head off the let down, was that if we make the Christmas season about us we will always be sad at the end. Christmas is about so much more than us. It is so much bigger than that. It is about a God who was not willing that any should perish. A God who was willing to leave His throne and come down into the midst of our MESS and be one of us. A God whose love in incomprehensible.

Even for those of us who know what the season is about, there is always that temptation to make it about us, or about our kids. We want everyone to be happy and we want everything to be perfect. We remember the "magic" of Christmases past and we want to recreate that for our families now that we are the adults. This is how I often feel, at least. Then, we get stress. We get resentment that "someone" rained on our parade. We have short tempers.

What I know, and often have to remind myself, is that my children will not remember whether or not we got all the baking done, but they will remember mom being stressed about every little thing. I want my children to remember our Christmases as being filled with love. Love for each other and love for the baby in the manger - the One who Christmas is really about.

So, now that it is over, what next?

My prayer for my family, and my prayer for each of you reading is that what is next is an attitude of Christmas all year long. An attitude of love and grace. Of overlooking offenses and smiling more. An attitude of giving to others and being the change you want to see in the world. An attitude of being more like Christ and way less like the "me" that I default to. This coming year, I want to become so in tune with my Jesus that people around me want what I have. I don't want them to see me, but Him. I want to be a reflection of the love, grace, and mercy that I have received. I want Christmas to live in my heart and be reflected in my life every day of the year.