Ready for Christmas? Are we?

UP, and it's dark and chilly. No surprise there. 

Am I ready for Christmas? Not really. Maybe. I'm not even sure what that means, at least as it applies to me, preparedness, and so on. I used to decorate every square inch, bake hundreds and hundreds of cookies, buy special outfits, and work myself into a tizzy. But now, I wonder if I was just trying to not be ready, to not accept that the true gift of Christmas was the birth of Jesus, and the rest was just human frailty and avoidance, dressed up as celebration. 

To accept the gift of Jesus is a monumental responsibility. It's a blessing, yes, but one that must be shared with others, not through proselytizing, pamphlets, loud exhortations (remember those Pharisees on the corners with their extra-large phylacteries), but shared by the way one lives. And I know that I, for one, fail far too often in my living out of the gift. But I try, not for show or to be seen, but to do what I can, where I can, for whom I can, as often as I can. I can do more. Maybe that is the gift I can't wrap, but the one that is sorely needed.

Unfortunately, family gets shorted sometimes. We run out of patience and understanding with those who we profess to love the most. And we don't treat ourselves with gentle dignity either. All the good works, the kind words, the helpful things we do for others are only part of the responsibility. We need to share the grace with those we love, even when they are not all that lovable. And we need to give ourselves a break, as well, especially in the "holiday season" when expectations and tempers both run high. 

Have a good last Sunday of Advent. Hold your dear ones close.

C