Tangled Thoughts

I wrote this post earlier last week, forwarded it to my sister, who in turn, edited it a little and posted it on our business blog. Sorry if your reading this twice, but I wanted to post it on here as well. After all…it “Is the season”

Earlier today, while I was supposed to be entering bills and calling customers, I was instead browsing through the latest topics on the blog walls. With the Christmas season approaching, it seems that most people manage to muster up enough courage to smile, and others even go all out in the big red suit complete with little green side kicks. I get a good laugh out of some people this time of year. They always seem so “Cheery” and give off the appearance that everything “Rolls off them” this time of year. People are so happy, it’s almost as if you could approach your Aunt Susan and tell her how you really feel about her cooking, and she would embrace you and tell you with a giant grin that she agrees – or, you know, something like that?

But upon looking deeper, you realize that this is just a face people merely put on, because after all “tis the season!”

Don’t get me wrong, I love this time of year. All shopping, and bad puns aside, Christmas is a great time of year. To reflect, an excuse to make too many cookies, buy too many presents, smile extra, and fight over crazy things like…trees.

But one thing that never ceases to amaze me, is the lack of emphasis people put on the “Real meaning” of Christmas.

I mean, its almost as if people forget why Christmas even came to be.

We do our best, don’t get me wrong. To smile and greet one another. We may pull out the old dusty manger, toss some hay in, and plug in our Christmas star. Some people throw on their hats, the ones that read “Baa-humbahg” and “Ho ho ho” and show up for Christmas Eve service, if truth be told, they go for the cookies. But none the less, they go.

Lots of other people take the opposite route. They go out of their way to explain why they DON’T do Christmas. They put great emphasis on the words “Saving money” and “Charity” and glare at you as if spending a little extra money this time of year is something to be looked down upon. They make you feel bad for buying that tree, instead of….hugging it, I suppose, and perhaps ”setting it free.” And they carry on as if the day were never even there. They turn their backs, and ignore everything about Christmas, they walk by that manger, and don’t think twice.

It’s almost heart breaking to see these people, walking around plastered with hats and fake smiles all decked up “For the season”, knowing that while they think they are doing the world a favor…by saving money, or dressing up, that the only thing they are really doing, is denying the most important factor of: Why Christmas came to be.

Not surprisingly perhaps, the girls disagree with the people who are against gifting and celebrating at Christmas!!!

This afternoon, while I browsed through a few topics…I found one that asked “What is the greatest gift you have ever been given.” As I flipped through all 60+ comments, I couldn’t help but realize…that while these people have the best intentions…they are missing the point of Christmas altogether. In fact, not one of them mentioned the best gift that they have been given as salvation.

There was talk of lunches with siblings, and rides with grandparents. There was even the mention of life as being the greatest gift. But not one. Not one single person, mentioned that the real meaning of Christmas was beyond trees and gifts. That what is important goes further than the cup of cider, or cookie. That the greatest gift…lasts beyond all battery life, and cheap plastic. Not one mentioned, the greatest gift.

Which is not the manger, but what was in fact, laid IN the manger, that means the most not only this Christmas season, but for eternity.