“Merry Christmas!”

{this is a very special memory from 4 years ago, back when my camera worked well :-)}

I find it interesting that this time of year “Merry Christmas” is a very common statement and it is often said without much thought. It has become a salutation of sorts from the day after Thanksgiving until Christmas Day. A lot of my thinking stems from my extreme distaste of the changeover of “Merry Christmas” to “Happy Holidays”.

Interestingly enough, I’ve decided these two statements are not one in the same. Merry Christmas makes us think family, friends, traditions, warmth in your heart; Happy Holidays leaves me hanging. What holiday is supposed to be happy – Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, all of them? I definitely don’t like “Happy Holidays”. Being happy isn’t what Christmas is supposed to be about. I whole-heartedly believe we celebrate Christmas for the purpose of remembering what our Heavenly Father did for us so long ago. He sent his only Son, to earth as a helpless baby. {John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”} So that baby could grow up to honor Him by giving His Life for our sins. Christmas is when we celebrate His birth. I’ve come to a conclusion – more of us need to Choose Joy…so, why do I have to consciously Choose Joy? Because I am silly, I can too easily let all kinds of distractions interfere with my core beliefs.

I am seeing two very common themes – Christmas is the general overall theme, but then there are those posts from several women clinging to their faith in a loving Heavenly Father – their theme is Christmas (because that is the season we’re in), but more importantly many are putting themselves out there and it is evident they are making the deliberate choice to Choose Joy this Christmas season. These are women who are open and honest about the ups and downs in life and the hurts that result – whether by their doing, someone else’s doing, the outcome of crisis, or maybe the trial/crisis they are currently walking through.

In recent conversations with different friends I realized we tend to too quickly allow lingering disappointment a stepping place in our heart – this disappointment manifests as bitterness and sometimes anger. Funny, I think of bitterness and anger as bad if you dwell on them. I typically think of bitterness as something to avoid, not allowing it to take root at all costs. I think of anger as an emotion that isn’t bad, unless you allow it to be all consuming and control you. It is what is done in anger that is destructive, not necessarily the anger itself.

However, I am wondering if disappointment could be just as destructive? I have always thought of disappointment as unmet expectations; a way we think we should have been treated-and weren’t; the way a certain circumstance should have played out-and it didn’t; maybe it’s as simple as a daily plan that constantly changes and the resulting feeling of not getting anything done. I am wondering though – could disappointment become just as all consuming, controlling, and destructive as either anger or bitterness?

All of my rambling is to say… I’m going to work on Choosing Joy in every circumstance; I’m putting out a challenge for you to do the same. If more of us focus on Choosing Joy, the reality of Christmas really could be Merry and Blessed!

Total side note – tomorrow night I get to learn how to use my new camera! I’m super excited!!!