The Shiny of Christmas is the Star

 I would always start the Christmas season reasonably, but as time went on bells rang, Santa’s ho ho echoed through the mall, busy shoppers rushed home with their treasures, and I became more and more despondent. After spending our planned amount for the kids’ Christmas, I would fret that it was not enough or that it was all wrong. Then, gazing upon the beautiful trappings of the season at every store, my heart was far from content or having peace in my soul! I felt that our meager funds had stolen Christmas. As I watched people spend, spend, spend, spend, spend, spend, I became more and more distraught. My Christmas faded into displeasure instead of joy because I had forgotten the real meaning of the day.

Doing all the traditional things that made the season complete for my family, I forced myself to watch “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.” If you remember, this miserable green creature tried his best to destroy the beautiful feelings that are born in this season. Thinking that gifts and glitter were the reason for their joy, he determined to remove everything that could remind them of this day.

That silly movie brought me to a bit of sanity, along with a wise statement that our green friend made. “he puzzled and puzzled till his puzzler was sore. Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more!”

And then, at the end of the terribleness of the Grinch’s deeds, the tiny people grabbed each other’s hands and sang with giant smiles on their faces. The Grinch could not take away their joy even as the world cannot take joy from the hearts of those who celebrate the Babe in the Manger.

Through the years I have become more sensible about gift-giving at Christmas, but I am still intrigued by the shiny of Christmas. and my heart knows without a doubt, “It means a little more!”

“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men”

Luke 2:9-11, 13-14 KJV

Lord, I need to be reminded why we celebrate Christmas. It’s not the Christmas tree that sits in the corner all aglow or the gifts and bobbles that we love. It is the Shiny of Christmas that dispelled the darkness, which is Jesus Christ. Amen.