Tis' the Season

I absolutely love the Christmas season. It's my favorite time of year. I love the Christmas music; I love the decorating, baking, shopping, gift giving, family traditions. I love everything about it. However, the hustle and bustle annoys the mess out of me. I promise myself every year that I will not fall into the trap of chaos; but it never fails...it happens anyway! It doesn't matter if I start shopping early, I am always frustrated on Christmas Eve because I forgot that one gift and I have to run to the store with everyone else and their momma! 

I blame this madness on our society today. We are forced to rush everything. Everything about Christmas keeps getting bigger and bigger. More money is spent, more gifts are bought, Christmas trees get bigger, the to-do lists get longer, the Christmas meal has to be better than The last. We cant even enjoy one holiday without shopping for the next one. Now we are starting to Christmas shop on Thanksgiving. A day when we are supposed to be thankful we are planning our strategy to hit the door buster deals at every store. Listen, I'm preaching to myself,  every year I have given into that pressure of saving money on "black Thursday". 

There's a story in the Bible that convicts me about my priorities during this time. It's found in Luke 10:38-42. It talks about Mary and Martha, two of Jesus closest female  friends. They followed him everywhere. In fact, any time women are mentioned by name as followers of Christ, it's always Mary and Martha. This passage takes place in their home where Martha is busy playing host while Mary is sitting as Jesus' feet taking in everything he is saying. Martha gets frustrated with Mary because she's just sitting there while she's running around preparing for their meal. She says" Lord, don't you care that my sister is has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me".  His response is what's so convicting to me. He says in verse 41 "Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her". OUCH!

Honestly, I don't blame Martha. If Jesus was coming to my house I would want everything to be perfect too. I wish I could say that I would be Mary, but the truth is I am just like Martha. I am always running around like a crazy person for something or someone.

In a way I'm running around preparing for him now. Not that He is coming to my house but I sure act like he is. The pressure of this day to be perfect, my Christmas decorations have to look like it came out of a magazine, keeping up with all the traditions I have started that honestly have nothing to do with Jesus. I mean really, my focus is completely off. I am just like Martha, busy making sure all everything is just right. For what? All He really wants from me is just to sit and be in His presence. Taking in all that He has for me in this season, my undivided attention to remember what it's all about.  

I hear God whisper to me as I write this. "Charlyn, Charlyn, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Choose me, because what I have for you is better than anything else and it will not be taken away from you". 

Christmas day is not supposed to be stressful. When we are consumed with all the craziness that the holiday can bring, we completely forget that "Jesus is the reason for the season". It's  not about us and our perfect holiday, its about Him...it's  always about Him. This is the day our Savior was born to save the world from sin, not how many presents are under the tree or where the Elf on the shelf is. Now don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with all these fun traditions we do but let's remember what this day represents. Its day Freedom came to walk the earth and change everything. The world would come to know Him as Immanuel, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Jesus would be the hope that the world so desperately needed. 

So, do we continue to be busy and stressed like Martha or do we sit at the feet of Jesus...the perfect gift and unwrap all that he has for us? I can promise that His gift will change your life and it will give you something that all the business cant and that's His peace.

Love, 

Charlyn