Christmas Day 2018 - What Christmas means to me

Every year, Faith over at Stories by Firefly hosts a 12 day long Christmas blog party. While I wasn’t able to join in as much as I would have liked to this year, I still wanted to do at least one post. A post talking about what Christmas means to me.

Now, christmas means so many different things to different people. That’s what makes it special. For all the traditions and the common thread that is woven through this season, each and every person and family has their own special traditions and times that make is unique. To each person, Christmas means something just a little bit different. And no two years are the same. Yes, Christmas is always about celebrating the birth of our Saviour, but each year has its own memories that will never match another’s. This christmas wasn’t like last year’s, but it was amazing in its own way.


Christmas means ...

Outdoors that smell like pine
Picking out the perfect Christmas tree
Peppermint mocha while studying with friends
Study dates that turn into just hanging out
Seeing Christmas lights with family
Hot chocolate and raspberry coffee
Discovering Starbuck’s White Chocolate Mocha
Chilly nights spent discovering new places with good friends
Warming your hands by a fire and smiling over how perfect the night is
Cooking in a warm kitchen
Christmas songs and laughter floating through the house
Trips to the mall for Christmas shopping
Christmas is new adventures swirled with the familiar. It’s old traditions mixed with a new season of life. It’s family and friends, it’s laughter and shopping. It’s giving and receiving. But most of all, it’s remembering the gift that was given to us over two thousand years ago.

During this season, we so often focus on the joy of Jesus born to save us. And it’s a good thing, because we should focus on that. But let’s also remember, joy wasn’t the only emotion on that holy night. Heaven had lost its Master. God had sent His Son away into a sinful world. Because He loved us so very much.
So if you’re feeling a little off this year, if you’re missing someone who can’t be there, if you’re having a hard time being excited for Christmas, remember, you’re not alone. Jesus, above all, knows how to it hurts to be seperared from those you love.

But even then, even when it hurts, He can help us choose joy. Because on Christmas night, all those years ago, God gave us something to be joyful for. A Saviour, who understands our pain, who is with us in the happy times, and who can help us to choose Chrismtas joy - even when it’s difficult.

Christmas, above all, is choosing to be joyful for God’s gift of love, even while we’re in an imperfect world.

Merry Christmas, Y’all.