Remember the reason for the season
"For Christ's love compels us …"
- 2 Corinthians 5:14 (NIV)
The Saturday after Thanksgiving starts my favorite Christmas ritual, which began in my childhood. I waited at the bottom of the ladder while my mother retrieved the boxes from the attic containing our Christmas decorations.
I was excited as I removed the dust and cobwebs from the tops of the boxes so I could open them and see the special contents inside. One box held our large, green Christmas tree. Others contained dozens of ornaments. Some were made of shiny, fragile glass. Others were covered with sparkling glitter.
Many were wrapped with colorful silk twine. When the bulbs on the tree were lit, the glass and glitter sparkled with a special beauty unique to the season.
Besides the tree decorations, glass hurricane lamps that held red and green candles were placed on top of the piano. Other decorations of snowmen, winter scenes and glorious manger settings adorned their places throughout the living room.
The windows were covered with glass wax stencils and fake snow. The house beheld the look of a winter wonderland and the reverence of a celebration of the Christ child's birth.
This holiday season, many will partake in their favorite Christmas traditions. The aroma from cookies will flow from ovens. Cards and special well-wishes will be penned to friends and loved ones. Many will partake of traditions that are unique to their family.
The festivities of the season can, oftentimes, cause us to take our eyes off the true reason for the season. Christmas is the time to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. It is not a time to celebrate material possessions; gifts are given as part of the celebration.
Keeping our spiritual focus in the midst of celebration is important. Some of the ways we can accomplish this are by daily prayer and reading of a devotional throughout December. Reading the story of Christ's birth from the Bible can make it become more of a reality, as well.
Playing Christmas carols while we partake of our festivities, and treating others with love and respect, will help us to keep our focus and display the fact that Christ is the true meaning of Christmas.
• Annettee Budzban is an author, motivational speaker, life coach and nurse. She can be contacted at Annetteebudzban@aol.com or (847) 543-8413. Invite Annettee to be your personal life coach or speak to your church, special event or business.