[written December 31]
Anyone who’s met me between November 1 and December 31 knows that I’m a fan of Christmas. Perhaps “fan” is too light of a term…. the words “overenthusiastic” and “elf” get thrown around when speaking of my yuletide antics. I’m always in the market for a unique Christmas sweater, on the lookout for DIY decorations, game for sampling making tasty Christmas treats. I never tire of Christmas radio. I can work a Will Ferrell Elf quote into any conversation. There’s a countdown to December 25th permanently set on my phone.
It’s not just the day itself that I love; in fact, Christmas day is sort of a letdown to be honest– it’s never quite as fun as I expect.
In a nutshell, I hold onto traditions with tight fists. And the American Christmas season is chock full of traditions for my little heart to latch onto.
This year, there’s no snow, gingerbread, sweaters (ugh even the thought makes me sweat), family gift swaps, or 24-hour A Christmas Story marathons on TV. How could I possibly find joy in this holiday that’s been stripped of everything that I love?!
Ok, I will admit, it wasn’t quite as dreary and depressing as I anticipated. We still sang some carols, ate way too much, and I even got to talk to my family over FaceTime. It felt different, but not necessarily worse. With all the fanfare stripped away, Christmas remained hopeful—a day to stop and revel in the most precious gift we’ve been given. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is King in the US and Cambodia. He is more precious than any item in a store or market. It’s satisfying to know that will never change.
