Normally it takes me one day to get through my Christmas decorating, or perhaps I should say “holiday” decorating. This year it took three days and I still have one box in the kitchen I’m not entirely sure what to do with. It’s fake greenery and one strand of greenery w/lights that I must have used somewhere at some time, but right now it’s simply sitting there calling to me: “Put me somewhere! Put me somewhere!” The question is, “Where?”
I’m not sure why it has taken me so long this year to get everything up. It looks terrific, by the way, very festive. I love everything about the holidays, and despite the uphill battle of getting the decorations up this year I enjoyed every minute of it.
I thought about why doing a favorite and enjoyable task took so much longer this year. Age? Maybe. Probably. As a world-class multi-tasker I’ve never had a problem getting more than one thing done at a time, but as I get older it isn’t as easy as it used to be. As I write I’m creating and printing Christmas cards and starting supper, while planning my radio program for Tuesday morning. So what slowed me down with decorating?
It could be because when we got ready to decorate the church for the holidays we were reminded by our pastor that Christmas isn’t until Dec. 24. Right now Christian churches are in Advent, the waiting period before the blessed birth. It is also the beginning of the church year, a time of preparation and renewal. In the hustle and bustle of secular holiday planning the birth of Christ has become an endnote rather than the whole story.
I began to think my dithering and getting ready for Christmas might be misguided, that I was focusing on the wrong things. It also gave me an excuse to put off what turns out to be hard work. My 67-year-old bones and muscles are, well, 67 years old!
And then I realized I was misunderstanding the point. The point isn’t about decorating or not decorating, it’s about doing the right things for the right reasons. I know that's simplistic, but it puts everything up to Dec. 24 into perspective for me. I decorate, make candy, bake goodies and have friends over because I enjoy it and I hope it makes other people smile. I hope it makes Jesus smile a little too. Celebrating His birth and life the whole of December has become a tradition. As believers we have a choice whether that celebration will be about excess and overspending, or reaching out to other people and giving thanks for all the ways our lives are blessed.
I’m glad at our church we have been reminded to focus our attention on Advent. We need this time to reflect and understand the Light that overshadows the darkness. Our task in this life is not to point out what we think is wrong with everyone else, but to celebrate God’s love. On Dec. 24 we will celebrate the gift that outshines all others.
