Everything Else Is Just The Wrapping

We’re here.

The midst of the Christmas season.

I don’t know about you guys, but I am struggling to keep up. I’m 75% finished with Christmas shopping, 5% done with the wrapping (UGH) and somehow keep running out of time. THEN, in the midst of the wrapping, I’m discovering that I’m missing some gifts that still need to be purchased. IT NEVER ENDS.

I’ve been a little overwhelmed the last few days, just feeling like I want to finish the things I HAVE to do, so that I can do the things I WANT to do. Like decorate my mantle. And watch some sugar-coated Christmas movies. And a bunch of other things.

Because you know what? I REALLY love Christmas. It’s my favorite. I might even like it more than fall. I never get tired of “Peace on Earth” or “Good Will Toward Men”, and neither. should. you. It’s a beautiful season of joy and hope and light.

I love the shopping for gifts, decorating my Christmas tree, and listening to my favorite Christmas songs. I love the movies and I love to spread Christmas cheer. I. Love. It. All.

I love it, but somehow the pressure of getting everything done in time is taking the joy out of the season for me. Which is crazy. Why do I do that? Christmas is one day out of the year, and we only celebrate it for one month. I’m not sure how I have decided that I can make Christmas joy wait until I’ve finished everything on my list, but it is INSANE. Christmas is too important and too meaningful and too joyous and TOO MIRACULOUS for me to push it to the side because I have a lot to do. It’s the BIRTH OF JESUS, for goodness sake. I’m pretty sure everything on my to-do list can chill on the back burner for a bit.

It was discouraging to me to find that this beautiful, joyous season was also stressing me the heck out. So I took a step back to really focus on the joy and light of the season. And of course, I made a Christmas Happiness list, full of the things that celebrate hope and joy and light. On my list, is Christmas Caroling (which is tonight!), baking cookies, and putting up Christmas decorations. You can learn more about my Happiness Lists from a previous post here.

This past year, I’ve gotten into decorating my house. It’s dumb, but it makes me happy to come home to a house that reflects the season we’re in. I want my home to reflect the joy and light of Christmas, so yesterday, instead of running a bunch of unnecessary errands and wrapping some gifts, I took a little bit of time to put up our stockings and decorate our mantle, and now, our living room decorating is complete. It’s my way of bringing light into our home and helping to reflect on the season.

I love Christmas lights. In my opinion, there are few things more beautiful than Christmas lights. I love to make myself a cup of tea in the evening, turn out the lights, curl up on my couch with a blanket and look at my Christmas tree, twinkling in the dark. Sometimes I just rest in the peace and quiet, sometimes I pray, and sometimes I just think of how grateful I am to have the life that I have. There’s something about the lights on a Christmas tree that just puts everything into perspective.

A few days ago, I realized that I had put up my tree, but hadn’t had a chance to really enjoy the lights in this way. I had had a long day at work, and Elliot called me to ask if I had plans for that evening. I told him that I planned on spending the evening with a cup of tea enjoying our Christmas lights. Sounds weird, but if I hadn’t, I probably would have skipped it, and would have missed one of my favorite things to do during this season.

Maybe for you, Christmas isn’t Christmas unless you drive around looking at Christmas lights. Or Christmas means having an annual party where you can see those you love. Perhaps you love to bake cookies and give them to your friends and neighbors, or you celebrate Christmas by volunteering to help those in need. Or, maybe what brings your Christmas cheer is having a Christmas movie marathon with hot chocolate and fuzzy socks.

What I’m saying is, make your own Christmas list. Think of what Christmas means to you and what is most important. What makes you jolly? What brings you and your family hope? Make a list of those things and make time to do them, because that’s what is going to fill your cup when you’re running around like a crazy person trying to get everything else done on time. Because Christmas means so much more than wrapping gifts and Christmas parties.

If you haven’t seen Noelle yet, there’s this great line. Noelle says

“If you know what Christmas means to you, the tradition’s just the wrapping.”

Which got me thinking about what Christmas means to each of us.

Joy. Hope. Light.

That’s what Christmas means to me. It means celebrating the birth of Jesus, who brought hope to a broken world. It means celebrating that gift by joyfully giving to others whenever and however we can. And it means bringing light to a dark world, much like the star on the first Christmas night.

That’s Christmas to me, everything else is just the wrapping.

“When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.” Matthew 2:10

“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” Luke 2:10