The Blessings of a Simple Christmas Season

Today not only are millions of Americans dealing with foreclosure, being fired and fretting about the future but many are also dealing with illnesses such as diabetes, breast cancer and other forms of cancer, heart disease and depression to name a few. Depression is most prevalent this time of year as some are suffering from loneliness, mourning loved ones that have made the transition or feeling remorseful because they cannot afford to buy gifts for their families. Whatever your situation is this holiday season, please remember we can't take tomorrow for granted and must be thankful for the present. As Christmas nears, these troubles may be the very thing that we need to get us refocused on the real purpose of Christmas. Without the expectations and burden of giving the latest and greatest toys to our friends and family, we are free to give of ourselves. This may mean giving a handmade gift, a cup of coffee, or a long walk. Or it may entail reaching out to someone we’ve lost touch with, forgiving a foe, or lending a hand to someone in need. Whatever it means for you, I guarantee a gift given from the heart will be more fruitful for you and more valuable for them.

Look, I understand Christmas in America will never be just about Jesus. But our goal needs to be that it centers on Him. And this year, with less money in our pocketbook and more debt on our credit cards, our Christmas can be filled with more blessings than ever before. But in order for this to be the case, we need to embrace the basic, simple truths of Christmas and use this toned-down holiday season to embrace what is most important in our lives. Without some of the typical Christmas distractions this year – giving and getting the best gifts - we can honestly do what we’ve always wanted to do: forget about the Hollywood in the day and focus on the Heavenly. When we do this - even if it’s because we are forced financially to do so – we will feel the freedom of forgiveness that comes with Christ’s birth and death. Then we will begin to understand and embrace the true purpose of Christmas.