As I write this blog I am sitting in California, in shorts, and looking out the window at sunny skies with 78 degrees of a perfect day. And then it happened...the first Christmas song came over the radio. It's November 14. Thanksgiving has not even happened yet. Something is terribly wrong. The song is about reindeer bells jingling on the rooftops, snow falling, and jolly old saint Nicholas. Or something like that.
Needless to say the song immediately put me in a confused state of mind. I didn't know whether to run outside to try and make a snow ball or drop on the ground to form a snow angel in the driveway, or to start baking some cookies...but I don't bake. Also, dropping to the ground and trying to make a snow angel in the driveway would cause me to get a concussion from the cement and tear my skin as it rubbed on the blacktop. No snow here.
The question remained, "Why would they do this to me over 40 days before Christmas?" And why would they let Frosty the snowman be played over and over getting me to think Christmas is here? Is nothing sacred? Nothing holy? Look at all the happy children!
It was so bothersome the channel had to be changed. I was not ready to process Christmas this early in the year. My head and heart revolted.
Yet as I typed this, I realized it was not the holiday I was not ready for, but the popular, commercial side of Christmas was what I didn't want to transition to. I came to recognize that I loved Jesus all the time and I didn't ever feel the need to get an emotional 'season' to fit him into.
After all, the first Christians didn't even celebrate his birth. Interesting.
Of course, most people hardly care about Jesus during Christmas because of the commercialism that has invaded our lives but I want to cherish him without all the trappings of 'holidays'. Nothing wrong with a little snow and hot chocolate and a song about a fat man in a red suit that never existed, but I aways want to honor Jesus above all.
Everything has it's place. And commercial Christmas? Let's at least wait until after Thanksgiving please!
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