So This Is Christams

There is something about Christmas that’s really not Christmas. No, not all the commercialism, and the retail business. I want to talk about the pain that comes with the Christmas season.

There are a lot of people who are going through the motions of celebrating the Christmas season this year the same as they have done for a very long time. Agonizing over getting with family members who they really don’t like, in some cases can’t stand the thought of being in the same room with. They relive arguments and fights from years past and replay them over and over in their minds like home movies with really bad endings. All of the he saids, and she saids, haunt them to the point of hate and contempt. This for some is a good old fashion family Christmas.

They spend hours tramping around shopping malls buying each other gifts hoping the other didn’t out spend them so to avoid the appearance of looking cheep. They sign their Christmas cards, “Merry X-mas.” Not knowing they just X’ed out the reason for the season.

How many people I wonder spend Christmas this way?

How many people set around a dinner table with family who seem like strangers, or people who they wish were people they liked and got along with?

It’s sad.

The good news is that the holiday season doesn’t have to be this way. You see, God created Christmas by giving the people of this world His Son as a gift. The Bible says that who ever believes in me, (Jesus) shall not die, but spend eternity with God in Heaven.

What dose all of that have to do with getting along with my in-laws during the holidays?

Glad you asked. Through God’s forgiveness of our sins, we are to forgive others who have wronged us, thus, making it easier to get along.

I didn’t say it would be easy, the important things in life are never easy.

You will never change the wrongs that have been done to you. You will never undo the wrongs you have done yourself. But the key to healing the wounds is forgiveness. God was willing to send his only son to earth to die for us so that we may be forgiven. For forgiveness sake, what are you willing to sacrifice?