Christmas is Coming!

In England, where I came from, we had a little jingle everyone sang. It must have come from the era of Dickens and Ebenezer Scrooge but it’s one of those seasonal songs British children grew up with:

                 “Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat.

       Who’ll put a penny in the old man’s hat?”

 When I think of Christmas coming in just a few days I don’t know whether to be EXCITED OR EXHAUSTED!  How about you? Are you frantically rushing around getting bargains and bustling home to hide your gifts until they can be wrapped and kept from prying eyes? Are you excited by the Christmas lights that are already blinking everywhere and making your street look like a fairyland? Is the music lighting up your heart—or giving you a massive migraine?Have you ever wished you could just stay in bed, eat something delicious, read a great book, and not have to cook, clean up, go somewhere, or have any demands placed on you? Are you sinking into a Scrooge-like attitude and wanting to say “Bah. Humbug” to anyone who wishes you a Merry Christmas?I hope not. But I do remember struggling a bit with that attitude several years ago when we lived in Singapore. Let me explain: My husband and I lived in Singapore for over two years.Singapore is hot—very hot—even on Christmas Day.  We had a toaster oven in our miniature kitchen—not even big enough for a baby chicken, let alone a great big turkey and all the trimmings.  Real, live, Christmas trees cost a small fortune. Plus we had no decorations. But hardest of all was we had no children or family to share the day with. And we had few friends (just so you won’t start crying on my behalf, we did eventually get invited to someone’s home—who had an American sized kitchen, oven, and turkey!)But as I lay in bed one morning thinking about the sad Christmas that awaited us, God broke through my gloomy thoughts with a challenging question:Just what does it mean to celebrate Christmas, Poppy?  It made me think.  Is it all the extras? The decorations, food, parties, presents? Yes, these are wonderful, but…  If I were to be honest that is what Christmas can become—a mere human, earthly, cultural happy day. But it’s so much more than that isn’t it.Christmas is celebrating Jesus, God’s most wonderful, life-changing gift, coming into the world. Coming into your world. Coming into my world. And we will never be the same—what a glorious thought. He is the reason for music, laughter, joy, giving gifts that delight (we hope!), expressing love in the hours spent getting that big bird ready and making those delicious treats to share with others.Yes, my friends. Rejoice! May you celebrate this whole Christmas season as you marvel at the incredible love of God seen in His amazing gift, the Lord Jesus Christ.(And if you feel growly and Scrooge-like, look up and smile. God has poured out His best for you and a heart-felt “Thank you” will change your perspective so you can enjoy a MERRY CHRISTMAS!) Blessings,  Poppy SmithInternational speaker, multi-published author, Bible teacher, and spiritual coachInspiring Women to Thrive!   Permission to use this article is granted provided the following credit is fully included.Poppy Smith is funny, warm, and passionate about helping women grow spiritually and personally so they experience the love and power of Christ in life’s ups and downs. A former teaching leader with Bible Study Fellowship, Poppy has a Masters in Spiritual Formation and ministers extensively as a retreat and conference speaker both in the US and around the world. For more information about Poppy’s heart, her books and ministry, please visit her website at www.poppysmith.com.