The Elves Were Onto Something...

Welcome to a New Year! Can I be honest? I’m not really a fan of this time of the year.  

I always feel a tinge of sadness when the Christmas season ends. The tree comes down, the decorations go back into boxes and the house looks so bare and empty. The gifts are all opened, Christmas music is over, vacation is over, family goes back home and life gets "back to normal." There's no more talk of peace, hope, joy or goodwill towards others. Christmas and everything that goes along with it gets packed away until next November.  

But why should all of the wonderful sentiments of Christmastime be limited one or two months out of the year? Why should shouts of, "Joy to the world! The Lord has come," be silenced after December 25th? Why should love and generosity to others not extend into the other months of the year? 

Here's good news: NONE of those things are limited to dates on a calendar! Emmanuel...God is with us, just as much from January through October as He is in November & December. The wonder and the miracle of Jesus bringing God's perfect plan of redemption to fruition is every bit as wonderful & miraculous throughout the year as it was on that first night in Bethlehem. The peace and hope that Christ brought that night are just as real and just as near - even when we don't have the words, "peace, hope & joy" written on festive candles, hand towels & Hobby Lobby signs throughout the house.  

I think the elves were onto something in the movie Elf, when they recited the first rule of their “elf code,” which says to treat every day like Christmas. Now more than ever, we ALL need the peace, hope, love and joy that comes only from Jesus. You don't have to keep the decorations up to keep the spirit of Christmas and the celebration of Christ alive in your heart (although I would argue that listening to the occasional Christmas carol throughout the year will help boost your Christmas spirit...but, I digress.) As we embark on a fresh, new year, let's follow the example of Buddy the Elf AND the words of Scripture, which tell us to sing loud for all to hear, with JOY because of what the Lord has done for us! (Psalm 92:4) Jesus gives us a wonderful HOPE! (2 Thessalonians 2:16). We have PEACE with God, because of Jesus! (Romans 5:1)  Let's LOVE others (Romans 12:9) and GIVE generously whenever we have an opportunity. (Philemon 1:6). In that, we celebrate the spirit of CHRISTmas all year long.  

So, yes...Christmas is technically over. But, is the celebration really over? Well, that's entirely up to you and me!