Keeping Christmas.

   

Just a few days ago, we were looking forward to Christmas Day. And now Christmas Day has come and gone for another year. Some people will be sad about that, while others are ready to move on to the next thing. Which brings us to that time again. Time to pack away Christmas for another year.

For some, the process begins immediately after Christmas Day is done. For others, like me, it's a very gradual process. I'm not quite ready to give it up completely yet. We'll be enjoying the tree a little longer, at least into the new year, through the 12 days of Christmas. Probably longer. But this week I’ll be gathering up things, one room at a time, to be packed away again until next year. It's time to put Christmas away. 

I heard someone say this week that the fa la la la la is gone. That sounds a little sad, doesn't it?

Have you ever noticed how generous people become with their time and money during the Christmas season? They drop money in the Salvation Army kettles. They donate more generously to their church and to charities. They tip more generously in the restaurant. They give more freely of their time at homeless shelters and food ministries. Then December 25 is past, and life gets back to normal. The generous Christmas spirit is put away until next year. That's so sad. There are still homeless people and hungry people and people with all kinds of needs who could use our help, not only in December but throughout the year. How sad that we seem only to think of them at Christmas. Even more, the spirit of Christmas, the reason for doing all this in the first place - the coming of the Savior - is still a very present reality.

We often hear about random acts of kindness, particularly during the holiday season. Then we don't seem to hear about quite so many of those kindnesses.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we were generous all year long?

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we did our random acts of kindness throughout the year?

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we kept Christmas all year long?

Not just in December.


“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” (Charles Dickens in A Christmas Carol)

"And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, ye have done it unto me."  
(Jesus, in Matthew 25:40 KJV)