Tuesday, December 15, 2015

The Christmas Spirit

If someone could define it, one would say the Christmas spirit is:

feeling happy, feeling content, happy to be alive, grateful, feeling generous, excited. All of these feelings are enhanced by the time of year and the accompanying accessories - trees, decorations, lights, presents, ugly sweaters, the colors red and green, eggnog, and snow or cold weather (though that depends on where you are from).

When I look at these characteristics, I realize that they are not confined to the month of December; one can have "the Christmas Spirit" all through the year (and without cold weather!)

Here's the secret - make a choice to be grateful every day that you are here regardless of your circumstances. Gratefulness will allow you to focus on the beauty of life; gratefulness makes you smile; gratefulness gives you much needed perspective; gratefulness generates good feelings.

I have recently rediscovered this secret; you see currently to an onlooker, life is not what I imagined it would be at this point in time; there are struggles and there are problems. However, I've recognized that these problems have the ability to impact my thinking but I have to choose to look at things differently.

So though my Christmas tree just went up, and my baking hasn't started, and I have fewer gifts (i.e. zero) under the tree - I have the Christmas spirit. I am grateful to be alive and to celebrate this time of year. I'm grateful for the ultimate Gift that was given to us at Christmas.

For a child is born to us,
a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 [NLT]

How are you feeling this year? What makes it feel like Christmas to you?

1 comment:

  1. Amen! Christmas is my favorite time of year but not for the gifts and stuff. Simply because He was born and lived and blessed my life through his sacrifice. Thank you for this post.

