Scrooge Needs a Heart Change (again)

In past years, always around this time, I've had to fight the 'Bah humbugs'. This year, I was surprised to find that I had somehow avoided the 'Bah humbugs'... or so I thought. 

Just this morning, I abruptly left the breakfast table in a huff because I felt stressed, tired, and overwhelmed by the many demands put on me by the holiday season (stacked on top of school, work, and everyday duties.) A comment from my persnickety three-year-old (after many other persnickety comments) was what tipped the scale. All my mind could dwell on were thoughts like, "Why doesn't anyone have sympathy for the pregnant lady?" and "I wish I had a moment just to enjoy Christmas!" Simply put, I was in a self-centered state of mind. And wasn't it just a few weeks ago that I was grateful for being back in my house? Now, I am grumbling because the house work seems to be piling up on me. How fickle I can be...

So, once again, I need a heart check. 

Why are we celebrating Christmas?
Where is my true source of joy?
Am I remembering that the things I do at Christmas are not mere obligations, but gifts of love in themselves?
Am I allowing bitterness and anger from past hurts to resurface and take root, where forgiveness should dwell?

And I am reminded of the lesson my own children have taught me over the years… Christmas is about the love God shows us and the love we show to others. My three-year-old  (yes, the persnickety one) has been making presents everyday. They are mostly scribbles rolled up into scrolls, but he is so excited about giving gifts to everyone he knows that he just keeps churning them out. It really is the thought that counts! Instead of putting pressure on myself to attain a certain bar of perfection and expectations, I can give myself grace and be reassured that the little I do still counts, when done in Jesus's name. Simplicity is okay. In fact, simplicity is better so that Christmas doesn't overshadow Jesus himself!

On that note, I want to share with you the Christmas chapter from my book, 'From the Mouth of Babes'. It's one of my favorites!

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~ Chapter 32 ~

God invited everyone to his birthday party!

Though Tadhg could win a tantrum contest hands-down, he is also one of the most enthusiastic little people I know. One time, as I was sitting on the couch folding laundry, he came over to see what I was doing.

“Look, Lightning McQueen!” he shouted.

He lifted his ‘big boy’ pants out of the laundry basket. And who did he find under Lightning McQueen?

“And Thomas!”

The more laundry he removed from the basket, the more surprises he found. I was watching a happy reunion between a boy and his clothes.

“... and bones pants, and rocket pajamas, and....”

Who knew laundry could be so fun?

At Christmas, Tadhg is also the one pointing out all the Christmas lights as we drive through town. With wonder, he describes everything he sees. 

“Wow! Rainbow lights! And a snowman! Those change colors! Cool!”

Then he gently points out the fact that we don’t have lights on the outside of our house. And I gently point out the fact that Mom and Dad don’t have the time. 

It’s not that I’m a Scrooge. Christmas has always been my favorite holiday. I love the music and the decorations! I love the get-togethers and the gift-giving! I love the traditions, the baking, the commercialism, the inundation of presents, the clean-up, the obligations... well, okay, I may have become a bit Scroogey over the years. 

But I’ve always known that that isn’t the right attitude to have. Christmas is the time to celebrate our Savior’s birth, a time of beauty and wonder. So why am I not celebrating? Why do we sing ‘Joy to the World!’, and yet, I don’t feel joyful?

Last year, the children asked if we could go caroling around our neighborhood. I hesitated. I wanted to say ‘yes’, but I could only think of reasons to say ‘no’. Our neighbors weren’t the most social people, and– who knows?– someone might actually be offended by Christmas carols, or cookies even, and besides, I have so much to do... 

I said ‘Yes’ anyway. When they asked me again the next morning,  “Can we go caroling? Please?! Right now?”, their joy, and their desire to share this joy, started to rub off on me. Then when Cadence wanted to make presents for all his siblings and cousins, I saw his generosity and love shine through. And when Abigail announced, “God invited everyone to his birthday party!”, my heart grew within me until it wanted to burst. I was like the Grinch, looking down on Whoville, watching the Whos celebrate despite bare walls and no gifts. My children’s enthusiasm over the little things reminded me that Christmas is all about the joy and love that we have through Jesus. It isn’t so much about how or even how much we celebrate, but about why.

One hot July day, Tadhg requested Christmas music in the car. I happily obliged, and listened as he and Abigail came up with a silly version of ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’.

“... two turtle GLOVES, and a partridge in a pear KNEE!” they shouted together.

Five months and counting, I told myself. Plenty of time to meditate on the wonder of Christmas and build up my enthusiasm! 

(Tangent: ‘Enthusiasm’ comes from the Greek words en theos, which means ‘in God’. It’s one of my favorite words!)