Tidings of Joy
Once upon a time, a very special baby was born in a stable. Hardly anybody even noticed him at the time. A couple thousand years later, it almost seems like the same conditions prevail. People are about to go into a frenzy of activity to observe a holiday that celebrates that baby’s birth — decorating, shopping for presents, baking and cooking special foods, hosting or attending holiday parties, attending numerous community events and possibly even helping organize one or more of them, planning a holiday feast that might feed an entire Third World village. Watching this activity, one might wonder — where does that baby fit into all this?
A popular saying tells us that “Jesus is the reason for the season.” A song assures us that Christmas is “the happiest time of the year.” Angels told some shepherds, on the night of that baby’s birth, that they had “tidings of great joy.”
But it’s so easy to let that joy be overwhelmed by worldly concerns. Every year I hear people grumble about how much they “have to do.” And every year I try to tell them, “You don’t HAVE TO do all that!”
Years ago, I sat down and looked at all the things that had gotten attached to my Christmas “to do” list over the years. Marie Kondo encourages people to look at all their possessions and dispose of those that don’t “spark joy.” I decided to do that with my Christmas “to do” list. I chose the community events I truly enjoyed and skipped the rest so I could have evenings at home with my family.
I love sending Christmas cards, but I cut out the stress of trying to write a letter to go with them. I do want to keep in touch with people, so I write a newsy letter at a different time of year when I don’t have so much other stuff going on — and I hope it’s a less busy time of year for them, too, so they have time to sit down and enjoy my letter when they get it.
I enjoy Christmas decorations, but I now have fewer of them so they are not so much work to put up, and to put away again when Christmas is over. I love Christmas cookies, but I decided that I don’t have to personally bake every one myself. And when I host a family dinner, a potluck is the way to go, instead of trying to cook the whole dinner by myself. It seems to be a lot more fun for everybody else, in fact, and sometimes you get some new recipes that way.
And of course, what gives me the greatest happiness is including that baby — the Savior whose birth the angels proclaimed with joy — in all my holiday plans. Spending my time and resources in ways that please him bring me more joy than any number of presents or parties or any of that other stuff.
If you’re someone who feels overwhelmed by everything you usually do during the holidays, I urge you to take some time now to think about that list and see where you can cut back. You’ll need to involve your family, of course, so you don’t eliminate something that is important to them. Maybe you can keep some things but cut back a little on the amount or change the way you do them so it’s less work for you.
Most importantly, make sure that special baby, Jesus, is at the center of your holiday. That is the only sure way to experience that Christmas joy. My hope is that you can decrease the stress and increase the joy of your Christmas this year, and every year.
May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. (2 Thessalonians 3:16)