What I Love About Christmas

All day I've been posting about my Christmas tree on Facebook. I slept on the couch last night, skipped lunch today, all because I don't want to leave my most decorated room.

And really, I've been gearing up for the Christmas season long before I decorated yesterday. When I turned onto 4th Street downtown a few weeks ago and saw the lights strung across the street, I literally squealed with delight. A day or two later when I discovered a radio station that was already playing Christmas songs, I squealed again and have listened exclusively to that radio station since. I don't mind Christmas butting into Thanksgiving, not in the least. Christmas season doesn't last long enough for me.

Why do I love it so much? Because no matter what their intentions, anyone who decorates for Christmas is celebrating Jesus. Sure, there are many who celebrate the Santa-fied, commercialized, Jesus-less Christmas, but their festivities still scream of the One whose birth is the reason we celebrate.

I think my absolutely favorite thing is the lights. Against the backdrop of leafless trees and a cold wintery sky, these lights add an element of hope that make me absolutely giddy with love for the Light of the World. When all seemed bleak, this Light came to the world and brought hope. Every twinkling light I see remind me of his light, his hope.

The tree comes next. Of course, it is strung with the lights I love so much. But even my fake tree is a symbol to me of the life Jesus brought when he came to our world. And this isn't just a tree in the yard; it is an intimate part of my life, brought into my home. Likewise, Jesus longs to be invited into our homes, into the inmost parts of our lives.

And I love the presents. Not just getting them, which of course is fun for anyone. But the whole spirit of giving surrounding the holiday. I used to think it odd that we give everybody else presents on Jesus' birthday. But I think he must delight in seeing this love and sacrifice when giving is done right. It's a wonderful way to celebrate his selfless giving.

The music. Oh, the music. While I do delight in the whimsy of Santa songs like Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, nothing gives me butterflies like hearing songs about Jesus on the regular old radio. It's the one time of year when stations other than K-Love proclaim the Savior. The song that moves me the most is "O Holy Night." When it gets to the line that so boldly proclaims "Christ is the Lord," I well up with tears a little bit. Every time. The meaning of Christmas may be hidden to many, but it isn't lost. When secular radio stations shamelessly declare such a powerful message, it's impossible to forget that Jesus is the reason we celebrate.

But it's all of these things added together that make Christmas so beautiful to me. I never feel closer to Jesus than in this season. Our world is transformed for this month, and it's transformed because of Jesus. It's transformed because, whether or not people realize it, 2,000 plus years ago a little baby was born that could transform the hearts of everyone in the world. This piece of the year, we get to see and hear that all around us...and I love it.

The Flip Side

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God." - 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

I grew up pretty sheltered from divorce. Sure, I had friends here and there with divorced parents, but within my own immediate and extended family, divorce was pretty rare. And even among my friends, I never had a friend whose parents got divorced during our friendship.

And because of this, I didn't really understand it. I figured anyone who got a divorce was probably sinning. I approached divorcees with judgment.

And so, faced with the decision of divorce in my own marriage, I wavered for a while. When we finally decided it was over, it had been a couple years of the idea coming up. One of the big things holding me back was my fear that others would judge me the same way I'd judged others. I couldn't stand to think that I'd fit into this "divorced" category. I didn't want that label, because I feared how others would view me.

Ultimately I decided it was between me and God, and if other people wanted to judge me, that was their problem. If I was clear with God, that was all that mattered. And that's what pushed me to make that decision.

Now I have a whole new view of divorce. Having been through it myself, I know that there's always more to it than people may be willing to share. And that's OK...there's no obligation to share it or prove to anyone that they're OK before God.

So lately I've found myself in a role I never quite envisioned: people going through divorce have been coming to me when they need someone to talk to. People I would've judged 5 or 6 years ago, I now have a heart to help. And I'm psyched about it. Of course I'm not psyched that others are going through a difficult phase of life, but I'm psyched that God is using my troubles to help me bring his comfort to others. I said from the beginning of this path that I wanted it to be something that would bring glory to God.

I'm working on starting a divorce support group at my church. I feel like I want to embrace this role and help others who are struggling through some of the same things I did. The logistics, the emotions, the fear of being labelled, the need for someone to talk to. I'm so thankful that God can use my brokenness to minister to others. It's an affirmation that he can take anything and turn it into good.

Persecution

I saw this link on Facebook recently, to an article that listed "evidence" that President Obama is hostile toward Christians.

I saw it more as a list of ways Christians aren't treated preferentially above other religions anymore.

And I'm OK with that.

Let me make one thing clear: I absolutely believe that Christianity is the only path to God. But let me make another thing clear: I don't believe legislating Christian morals is a way to save anyone...wouldn't that mean we're saved by works? Christianity is about a change of heart that happens when Jesus transforms our lives. And no one is going to have their heart changed for Jesus because gay marriage is illegal.

So, that being established: I think what Christians often see as government persecution is really us losing the ability to oppress other faiths.

Here was my response on the link: "It just bugs me when American Christians get all bent out of shape about the 'persecution' that occurs in America. It is not persecution when Obama doesn't participate in the National Day of Prayer. It would be persecution if Obama sent the police out to arrest and imprison anyone who prayed on the National Day of Prayer. It is not persecution when Target won't say "Merry Christmas." I think what we're really upset about isn't hostility or persecution or preferential treatment of anyone else, it's that we're not getting the preferential treatment anymore. Persecution is when the government will not let you practice your own religious beliefs without fear of punishment. MAYBE the whole employers must cover abortion thing goes into that. But even that is a stretch, in my opinion. Seems to me persecution in that case would be the government limiting the number of children you can legally have (like China did), thus forcing you to get an abortion or break the law if you get pregnant after that number. In my opinion, Obama has done nothing to infringe on my personal rights as a Christian, and this article hasn't given any evidence that he has. Therefore, I don't consider him hostile at all."

Someone responded, noting that Obama manages to host a Ramadan dinner every year. I don't see why that's a problem. He's not forcing anyone else to observe Ramadan. When did it become hostility or persecution toward Christians that other people have freedom to celebrate other faiths?

We live in a country that was, at least in theory, built on religious freedom. But Christianity was emphasized, at least on a verbal level. So we as Christians have gotten used to a certain standard where we expect Christianity to be touted above other religions. And as this supremacy has gradually slipped out of our grasp (and not all under Obama), we feel we're being persecuted.

I think we need to put on our big girl panties and get over it. We are so spoiled we don't even know what persecution means. And we're belittling the suffering of people who do.