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Crazy (Amazy?) Happy Holidays

"Happy Holidays y'all!"

Ok, I know, I know- I didn't write anything letting y'all know what was going on for the holidays! But, my dear friends, it wasn't my fault! It was the church. No, really. Romanians are kind of mildly obsessed about going to church all the time- especially around the holidays. I'm not saying that's bad... but when Romanians hear the word "holiday", they take off like a rocket. There is no such thing as a calm, restful vacation-like holiday. Instead they are running around until well after midnight with friends. 

Basically, this is what our Christmas/New Years looked like: cookie baking, David Center party, Rebecca's cantata, more cantata, even more cantata, caroling until after midnight, more caroling, party, gingerbread house building, more cookie baking, Christmas, Christmas night church service, Christmas service/visit at a little village all day, friends over, last minute New Year party prep, New Year party until 5 a.m. with cleanup, and finally- football day until three a.m.. Whew! Busy, busy, busy. 

Admittedly, Rebecca did very well on her cantata and we girls enjoyed performing a song and skit for church, so it's not like we didn't have fun. (I decorated pretty much our whole gingerbread house by myself, so that was fun. Its carcass now sits in the kitchen where Dad periodically picks it over.) But 5 a.m.?! You've got to be crazy, even if it is New Years. The one day of the year that we try and kill ourselves off with no sleep. Who invented that, anyway?!

I'll stop ranting now before you get the idea that I didn't have a good time. The truth is, I did. But it's not like it used to be, you know? The holidays would always fill me with a sparkly, zippy feeling of anticipation. There were times when I couldn't sleep for hours after I went to bed. But now... not so much. The gifts aren't as important, the snow doesn't always feel magical, and your friends aren't the same people they were last year. Things change. Life changes. You change. But the one thing that stays the same- Jesus. No matter how crazy or even un-amazing the holidays get, the Bible promises that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever". (Hebrews 13:8) Just because we don't feel it, doesn't mean that Jesus didn't come to earth and that there isn't something worth celebrating. It doesn't mean we have the right to ignore Christmas.

So if you didn't get the Christmas you remember having as a child- or even if you did- just stop and think: Where does Jesus stand in your holidays? Is He as important to you as to the Romanians at this time of year? Did you think about the fact that He came into this depraved, sin-filled world just for you?

Have you thanked Him yet?
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