Bah humbug!

I love the Christmas Season...a lot!  I was blessed to grow up in a family where Christmas was a true season in that we decorated and baked and made traditions and all that jazz.  I remember helping my mom and dad decorate the trees, and my dad would hang Christmas lights on the house and they always looked so perfect.  I remember listening to the Mannheim Steamroller CD with my mom as we put up our tree and then we would sit with all lights off but the tree and just watch it glow.  I remember my EXTREME fear of Santa!!!  I always asked Santa to leave my presents outside on the deck so he didn't come in my house :)  I remember my mom, aunt, and grandma baking and baking and baking. 

You see to me Christmas is so much more than just ONE day.  It is a season.  It is a distinct time period.  It is more than presents and family.  It is my salvation.  It is a love that NO ONE will ever be able to fathom.  It is the start of the biggest sacrifice any one person has ever made. 

 "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" - John 3:16

As an adult/wife/hopefully one day mommy...I could not image giving your one and only child as the ultimate sacrifice.  Knowing how it will end.  To be able to step out of MY self to give to others!

This post is totally random, but there was something that triggered it for me.  My office is decorated and I listen to 90% Christmas music all day.  Starting the day after Thanksgiving.  Someone made a comment about how all I listen to is Christmas music and how we celebrate ONE day for 24 days and so on.  My hackles went up and I called him a humbug!  I started thinking about why I got so defensive.  I went to my bible at work and meditated on John 3:16.  I realized I got so mad because if God can give us his one and only son to that we may live in eternity...why can't we celebrate that for more than one day?  Don't we owe it to Him to give Him more than one day?  And then He convicted me like He always does when I need it most....shouldn't I be praying for the "humbug" and not condemn him?  Shouldn't I be asking him to have a soft heart and that maybe my Christmas music and whatnot will show him what the reason for the season really is?

After all isn't that the story of Scrooge anyways ;)  Here's to remembering the reason for the season.