Several years ago, I observed a very sad scene in the grocery store. A lady had a meltdown as she screamed at the store manager, blaming him for ruining her Christmas because the store didn’t carry the brand of eggnog she NEEDED.

As well, I noticed a few aisles over a teenaged girl with tears streaming down her face. I walked over to ask the girl if there was anything I could do to help. She said, “No, she makes all of us miserable trying to recreate her PERFECT Christmas from 40 years ago!”

Many of us have a picture in our minds of what our “perfect” Christmas looks like. Sometimes that picture is based on a wonderful Christmas from our past. And, oftentimes, the picture is created as an “opposite” of a horrible Christmas from our past.

In order to create that “perfect” Christmas, we spend copious amounts of time decorating our homes, running from store to store purchasing all the gifts that everyone wants and all the ingredients to make everyone’s favorite dishes for Christmas dinner, we get up early and stay up late to wrap each gift in just the right paper. Even before Christmas Day, we are exhausted and miserable.

So many times, nothing about our thoughts, attitudes, facial expressions or words exhibit gratefulness and joy that “the Lord is come.” We are so busy making Christmas about us and what WE WANT, even when we think we are making Christmas about our families and what they want, that we make ourselves and everyone around us miserable.

Then, if Christmas Day (opening gifts, dinner, whatever it is) DOES NOT match the “perfect” picture of Christmas that we have in our minds, we plummet into a deep depression, get angry with everyone around us, and make ourselves and everyone else miserable.

Let’s take time on this Christmas Eve to refocus our heart on “the Savior Who is Christ the Lord!”

From Kevin

Incredible advice from Shirley, my friend. So many things could disappoint us this week – from sickness to plan changes to oven problems. Today, tomorrow, and throughout this final week of the year, may we reflect most upon Jesus, the Savior Who is Christ the Lord! Merry Christmas!