Are You Ready? (Updated)

Are you ready? We hear that question a lot at this time of year. Are you ready for Christmas? And that usually means "have you finished your Christmas shopping?" Or "are all your decorations up?" Or "have you finished the cookie baking?" Or.......you can fill in the blank.

Yesterday I stopped by a fast food restaurant to get something to drink in between appointments.  An employee there asked me that question.  "Are you ready for Christmas?", she said.  "Yes", I said.  She seemed shocked!

As I have been thinking about that question today, I've been remembering a sermon I heard a few years ago on this topic. In fact, I think the pastor may have titled his sermon "Are You Ready for Christmas?" But what he was talking about had nothing to do with decorations or shopping or cookie baking!

His point, and one I think we would all do well to remember, is that being "ready" for Christmas has very little to do with shopping or cookies or trees. It has everything to do with Jesus. And with a right relationship with Him. Being ready for Christmas is about focus......about remembering why we are doing this in the first place.....about celebrating Jesus!

I'm not anti-Christmas decorations or anti-Christmas presents or anti-Christmas cookies (especially not anti-cookies!!). But I am saddened by how easily our focus shifts away from the real reason for the celebration.

Some years ago, in a Children's Choir program I was directing, there was a song titled "Happy Birthday, Jesus." The song centered around the fact that we each have a birthday, a "special day that comes 'round once a year" and we like for people to remember that day. We often are given gifts on that day, and we like that!! The song goes on to point out that Jesus has a special day, but though everybody knows it, "the fact is often clear that we forget to remember Him on His very special day."

We spend a lot of time during the Christmas season thinking about those who are special to us and about what gift we can give to let them know just how much we love them.

Should we not also do the same for Jesus? It's His birthday we're celebrating!! What gift will you give this year?

What can I give Him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb,
If I were a wise man
I would do my part,
Yet what I can I give Him,
Give Him my heart.

   -Christina Rossetti