Thoughts on Christmas

Every year since I've been married Christmas has been a little on the less than flashy side. It hasn't been until this year that I've had a decent enough job to have done all the hoopla without doing something stupid like put everything on a credit card. But even then, it's been a struggle. We only bought gifts within the immediate family, and told our roommate to keep his rent money for the month of December.

Every year we get better about our money. But we still have a long way to go. But with all the money problems comes an opportunity to step back and ask yourself, "Why am I doing all this?" Do I need another Wii game? No. I haven't finished 30% of the game I own, and some of these games go back to my Super Nintendo collection. Does Melissa need another set of pajamas? Nope. She has enough for the two of us. Does Caspian need anything else at all? Please. He doesn't play with the junk he has now, and what he does play with he just throws around and breaks stuff with it.

Today, we supposedly celebrate the human birth of the most supreme being to have ever existed, and we do that cutting down a shrub (or buying a fiber optic one), decorating it with glass balls, wrapping trinkets in the remnants another shrub, eating till we puke, and arguing with family. Some of us pretend that a way to happy fat man slides down our fireplace chimney and leaves good kids stuff and bad kids coal.

What purpose does that serve other than to mask what today is about? Look, it's totally cool getting all that loot on December 25, and there isn't anything wrong with it. We just have to remember to take the time to thank God for allowing himself to suffer the humiliation of being squeezed out of some 14 year old's uterus and the pain of taking that first breath of oxygen. And for what? So we could march him down a path with a giant block of wood strapped to his back, spit on him, and then nail him to that giant piece of wood.

I'm glad this Christmas isn't going to be littered with torn up wrapping paper, bluray disks, bacon stuffed bacon wrapped in bacon, and a tree that I'm just going to have to vacuum up after and then throw on the side of the street a few days from now. Now I can focus on what's important: my family, my friends, and my Savior.

Merry Christmas everyone.