Christmas Mode
Thanksgiving is almost here and Christmas will be right on its heels in just a few short weeks. As our American culture has pushed up the start of the Christmas season earlier and earlier (Hallmark started before Halloween this year), I am compelled to take a moment to reflect on the holidays.
I saw a meme that said, "We all have that one friend who is always in Christmas mode." It made me consider what "Christmas mode" is. From my observation, it seems to be playing Christmas themed music, putting up decorations, baking goodies associated with the holiday, wearing winter clothes, posting Christmassy things on social media, counting the days left until December 25, and watching A Christmas Carol. Scrooge "kept Christmas" by being generous with his wealth and sharing himself with others. I'll let you decide what it is and when it should start and end for yourself.
Christmas programming. Many people have an opinion about when "Christmas mode" is supposed to begin and when it should end. Charles Dickens inferred that Christmas should be kept all year long through his character Ebenezer Scrooge in
For me, Christmas, and all the holidays, haven't been the same since my mom died. She always enjoyed it and I didn't realize how much I relied on her love for the season to enjoy it myself until she was gone. Other changes in my life have factored into it as well. Things that seemed so important or "magical" when I was younger just aren't anymore. Movies have an answer for this feeling, but the reality is that all of Santa's magic or a significant other cannot do for me what only God can.
Grief, depression, sadness, difficult circumstances, and the like don't care about "Christmas mode" or the holiday calendar. As I head into the holiday season, my desire is to remain in Christ. It's easy to seek my joy and contentment in the celebration of the season. There's nothing wrong with watching a holiday film or baking Christmas cookies and taking pleasure in that. God made good things and it's good to enjoy them (Psalm 118:24, James 1:17). The thing with them is that they are momentary and if I am seeking to be fulfilled by them, I will have to keep going back for more. Psalm 90:14 says, "Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days."
My hope is that as I am satisfied in Christ, I will rejoice and be glad all my days (that includes when I'm in "Christmas mode").
I saw a meme that said, "We all have that one friend who is always in Christmas mode." It made me consider what "Christmas mode" is. From my observation, it seems to be playing Christmas themed music, putting up decorations, baking goodies associated with the holiday, wearing winter clothes, posting Christmassy things on social media, counting the days left until December 25, and watching A Christmas Carol. Scrooge "kept Christmas" by being generous with his wealth and sharing himself with others. I'll let you decide what it is and when it should start and end for yourself.Christmas programming. Many people have an opinion about when "Christmas mode" is supposed to begin and when it should end. Charles Dickens inferred that Christmas should be kept all year long through his character Ebenezer Scrooge in
For me, Christmas, and all the holidays, haven't been the same since my mom died. She always enjoyed it and I didn't realize how much I relied on her love for the season to enjoy it myself until she was gone. Other changes in my life have factored into it as well. Things that seemed so important or "magical" when I was younger just aren't anymore. Movies have an answer for this feeling, but the reality is that all of Santa's magic or a significant other cannot do for me what only God can.
Grief, depression, sadness, difficult circumstances, and the like don't care about "Christmas mode" or the holiday calendar. As I head into the holiday season, my desire is to remain in Christ. It's easy to seek my joy and contentment in the celebration of the season. There's nothing wrong with watching a holiday film or baking Christmas cookies and taking pleasure in that. God made good things and it's good to enjoy them (Psalm 118:24, James 1:17). The thing with them is that they are momentary and if I am seeking to be fulfilled by them, I will have to keep going back for more. Psalm 90:14 says, "Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days."
My hope is that as I am satisfied in Christ, I will rejoice and be glad all my days (that includes when I'm in "Christmas mode").
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