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time to reflect
Christmas is a sacred time for Christians as the world celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ.
Christmas is also the most frantic season of the year as people rush about searching for the perfect gift, making sure that everyone who sent a Christmas card gets one in return, and employees put untold extra hours into their jobs during the Christmas rush, which is a make-or-break proposition for many small businesses.
So for many, Christmas is more of a hassle than a celebration, and it shouldn’t be that way.
It’s too bad everyone can’t turn back the clock 30, 50 or 70 years and enjoy the excitement of the Christmases of their youth, when the anticipation of Santa Claus, the decorating of the Christmas tree and riding that brand new bike are indelible memories.
But the wonderments of youth don’t last forever. The burdens and responsibilities of adulthood are inevitable.
Christmas, however, should be a time of reflection, no matter how hard it is to find a few spare minutes alone with one’s own thoughts and with God.
Many people don’t spend time in reflection because they don’t like what they see. Perhaps it’s because they don’t act morally, they don’t have the compassion for others that Jesus asks, or they treat those around them badly.
The celebration of the birth of the Jesus Christ gives us the opportunity to reflect, to hope, to pray – and the chance to alter our lives and the lives of others for the better.
And that’s the real gift of Christmas.