Braking For Christmas

Have you ever been in a hurry to get somewhere?  You broke the speed limit passed the slow poke in front of you, most likely said a thing or two that you should not have and then you arrive at your destination.  You look in your rear view mirror and guess who is right behind you?  Oh slow poke.  He didn’t speed, wasn’t in a hurry, didn’t embarrass himself with unnecessary language but yet arrived at the same time you did.  Who do you think enjoyed the journey to most?  We often get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the Christmas Season while missing out on the joy of the journey. During this time of year we should ease up on the accelerator release our frowns and idle our inner motors with questions like, “Why the hurry? What is the rush? Why rush in and out of the season?”   Could our fast paced lives be the reason we are unable to enjoy the spirit of the season?  Several years ago my daughter, her husband and our only granddaughter came to our house for Christmas. We were overjoyed to see them.  As a matter of fact, we were so caught up in the visit that we completely failed to read the message on the shirt Kaylin was wearing. It said “I’m going to be a big sister.”  We bragged on the shirt but missed the message. Amidst all the packages purchased and boxes bundled, we cannot overlook the gift and His glory. It’s not about neckties, toys, and technology, but about God’s incredible gift. But again we can get caught up in the gusto.  For example my wife decided that she wanted a bigger tree a couple of years ago.  So after Christmas she found one at Sam’s, bargained and got a good price.  It was so big we had to bring it home in the church van. It stands 13 feet tall. It was a pain to carry. So the next Christmas arrived and we brought it out of the basement.  It was heavy just to carry.  It went up in sections. The first one or two wasn’t so bad, but the last two were another story. I had to stand on a ladder to put the final two sections up.  They were extremely heavy.   I strained and complained a bit and needless to say before it was over I was unhappy and so was she.  I told her I thought the tree was too big. I was going out of town so she said, I will have the guys to come and take it down while you are gone.  I said “the tree is staying; if they take that tree down they won’t have a job when I get back.”  Well the end of the story is that she repented, Ha Ha, and the tree stayed and it was so beautiful.  I like it but almost got divorced and almost missed the beauty of it by getting frustrated. The same was the case when Christ was born. It’s so easy to become mesmerized by food, banquets, and programs. However, the memories of Christmas are most enjoyable when we slow down, put on the brakes, and savor the reason for the season.