Blessing and Gift: 20 December 2009

Out in our little corner of the world we rarely see a variety of birds during the winter months. The Downy and Red-bellied woodpeckers are abundant and frequent visitors to our three maple trees and the Chickadees gather from time to time. But that’s about it since the woods is a ways from our house. However, on rare occasion if lucky, one just might catch a glimpse of another species of bird that ventured all too briefly out of the woods into the yard. Such was the case the other day when I just happened to look out the window and catch sight of a Blue Jay that had come for an all too brief visit to one of the trees near the house. Now, on walks and drives near and through the woods they are much more abundant. But I cannot remember ever seeing one in our yard the almost 20 years we’ve lived here. My appreciation of the wonders and beauty of nature has grown tremendously over the past few years and seeing this Blue Jay was pure joy and delight – it was such a blessing and gift.

That got me thinking about Christmas. We’re on the home stretch now with our holiday preparations. Most likely the tree is up and trimmed, the house is decorated, some of the baking is done, hopefully the shopping is done too and the presents wrapped and tagged, the Christmas cards have been written and mailed, and on and on. Yet there feels as if there’s still so much to do in the next four or five days. As I listened to Christmas music on the radio while making a final trek into town this week to pick up more wrapping paper I couldn’t help wondering why most of the music I was hearing really doesn’t have anything to do with what Christmas is really all about. There are the songs about St. Nick, having a white Christmas, jingle bells, how it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas and more. I really listened to the song lyrics that day and was saddened by them – almost all of them played on the way into town and back home again had more to do with Christmas trees, snow and presents under the tree. Granted we also have the more “holy” songs too but none were played on the radio that morning. Now I have come to understand all the things and “traditions” like trees and snow and presents have long been a part of celebrating Christmas in our lives but…what does all that really have to do with the true meaning of Christmas?

Pure joy and delight…blessing and gift. In all the preparing we put ourselves through each year getting ready for Christmas do we also take the time to reflect on just what it is we are preparing to celebrate? Whether or not we consider ourselves to be “church goers” or “religious”, when it comes to Christmas this IS a very sacred time. Christmas is less about trimmed trees, snow on the ground and presents under the tree (not to mention who buys or gets the biggest and best retail gift) than it is about the joy and delight and graciousness of our Sacred Creator. Christmas is all about the awesome blessing and gift of Holy love made real by the Divine breaking into the world by becoming human.

As Christmas draws very near, I extend an invitation for us to pause a bit and what our celebration of Christmas will be all about for us this year.

Peace on the Journey.