Only ___ days until Christmas!

-
Is it just me or has "Christmas" come even earlier this year?

Holiday merchandise is already front and center in the stores.
A radio station had an "All Christmas Halloween" and so the music's begun.
The Sunday paper contained several holiday toy catalogs.
Starbucks has already gone to their red holiday cups. (although I can't complain there as I enjoyed a peppermint mocha...)
And a couple days ago I saw a holiday themed commercial and since September I've been receiving "100 days until Christmas" emails.

100 days before Christmas? Are we really to the point that we need to prep for almost 1/3 of the year for this one holiday??

What about today - did we prep for today? Do we have special things planned? Décor? Food? Gifts? Special activities to make fond memories?

Of course not - we're too busy planning for the perfect Christmas and putting all our eggs into that basket.

But what about today?
And tomorrow and all the days before December 25th?
Are they less important?
Do we casually just throw them away since their significance is  only related to how many days away they are from Christmas?

Of course not; but it's so easy to be conned into doing just that - to rush through the days leading up to the day circled in red on the calendar - whatever day that is, a birthday, an outing, retirement, vacation, marriage or an expected birth day; and when we do so we forget that everyday is a gift.

This is the day that the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

So teach us to number our days so that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom Psalms 90:14 (and somehow this numbering is NOT referring to how many days are left until "xyz"!)

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes- James 4:14


I have a friend with a terminal illness.
I saw a significant accident just yesterday while out and about.
I've attended the funerals of those younger than I.
And you have too. 

While I love Christmas and while anticipation for any special day is half the fun; don't rush by today and the blessings and opportunities that God has packed into it for you. Unwrap this present!

Comments

Unknown said…
Christmas is no longer a birthday party. It is commerce and money and greed. The day of Halloween there were Christmas season items already on the shelves. I find it very sad.
November 5, 2013 at 5:15 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

There is a man named Don Casey

-
Image
There was a man named Job. He was a godly man (...that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil - Job 1:1) A careful man ( When the days of the feast had run their course Job would rise early...and offer burnt offerings...For Job said, 'It may be that my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts' Job 1:5) A faithful man   (...this Job did continually. Job 1: 5) A man blessed by God. (...this man was the greatest of all the people of the east. Job 1: 3) but then, apparently , he wasn't. His children were crushed when the house collapsed, enemies and fire destroyed all the animals and servants. He was a man suddenly engulfed by calamity and inundated by infirmities; covered in boils from head to foot. His wife told him to curse God and die. His friends told him all he had done to deserve such judgement from God. And Job wondered about it all and  asked God "Why?". There is a man named Don Casey.
Read more

Friends

-
2008 has been such a relational year so far for me. I set up a Facebook account and from there discovered high school and college friends and even kids I used to baby-sit who now have growing families of their own. It’s been a time of reconnecting to people I never knew I’d have contact with again and it’s been interesting to see how we are the same people today that we were twenty years ago; only a little more worn out from use! When I was a child, I remember hearing in a sermon that in your life you will be lucky if you can count the number of true friends you have on one hand. That was preposterous to me! One hand? Five friends? I had way more than five friends! Of course I didn’t have the perspective at twelve that I do now. Now I understand. My definition of friend has matured with my years and I am so blessed by those “friends” who have matured along with my definition. Is there any thing in this world as amazing as a friend? One with whom you can open your soul and know they are
Read more

Safe

-
My daughter came stumbling into our room at 4 a.m. “I had a bad dream”, she said as she crawled into bed. Did she want to talk about it? An immediate, adamant “No!” Ten minutes she was sound asleep safe in her dad’s arms. Safe When she experienced this bad thing she went to where she would feel safe. Later in the morning she told me about her bad dream and it wasn’t as scary to her in the 7 am brightness as it had been in the dark. Could we have explained that it wasn’t that bad and just a dream to her in the middle of the night? Not a chance, at that point she just needed to feel surrounded and protected. When trouble comes, overwhelming troubles like the constant crashing of waves on the seashore, where do you go to be safe? I wrap myself in scripture and claim the promises that God is… a refuge and help in time of need (Psalms 46) the Shepherd who supplies my needs and walks with me through the valleys (Psalms 23) the God who knows the way that I am taking (Job 23) who delights in e
Read more