When we have high expectations, disappointment is sure to follow.
What does a perfect Christmas look like to you? Is it described this way?
The shopping malls are beautifully decorated and the store windows have Christmas displays enticing you to come inside to search for that “perfect” gift. Maybe it’s the sounds of your favourite Christmas carols playing loudly over the speakers, while you observe the shoppers caught up in the hurrying from one store to another. In your mind you are saying: “Let the Christmas Season begin!”
But perhaps, as you are quietly standing still in the mall and shoppers are walking by you with their arms full of purchased gifts, you have a feeling of being overwhelmed. The Christmas carols you are hearing, only remind you that someone you love is no longer with you. Such a sad and lonely feeling. Why does everyone else look so happy? You may be struggling with this thought “how am I going to pay for all of this, I really do not want to disappoint my kids”.
Without the right concept of Christmas it is only going to bring disappointment to all of us.
Maybe this is the year to begin to change your approach to Christmas. With discipline, we can purchase that “perfect” gift within your budget. It may mean a longer shopping day, and sore feet, but being thrifty brings a sense of personal satisfaction and peace. Why not make January a wise beginning for 2019 and begin saving a few dollars, if possible, each and every month towards next Christmas. Christmas would have less pressure then. Be patient with yourself, because some changes do not happen overnight. Instead of focusing on giving or receiving that perfect gift, may you find real joy reflecting on the gift of the birth of Christ and what His birth means to you. May this Christmas be a special time of being grateful for all that He has accomplished through His birth.
—Written by: Pastor Ken