Christmas in July...almost

We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)  Romans 8:24-25  (NLT)

I read a friend's (I'll call her Linda) post on Facebook this week and this is what it said:  "In Honey Creek Mall on Friday, I heard a marching band and about got run over by them wearing Santa hats and playing "Here Comes Santa Claus". Behind the band was Santa riding in a black Corvette. Really? It was Veteran's Day!"

Goodness, gracious.  I noticed back when I was looking at Halloween stuff, they were getting out the Thanksgiving and Christmas items.  They had even condensed the Halloween stuff to start moving in Christmas decorations.  What in the world?  I love seasons and I love holidays.  I decorate for almost every season and holiday, at least a little.  I get that from my Grandma.  She has certain curtains, candles, pictures, pillows, flowers, etc. for every season.  We even rearrange the room according to the weather because of her wall heat...which totally makes sense.

I have gotten a little lazier in the past few years with my decorating because I have five hundred other things I need to do, or think I need to do.  I'm embarrassed to say that last year I carried our Christmas Tree (which is already artificial with lights on it) to the basement storage room fully decorated and put a sheet over it!  Even as I was doing it, I felt THIS IS SO WRONG.  But I just didn't have it in me to undecorate it the way I would normally do it.  I wanted to hurry up and put it away.  It would be the Valentine's Day soon!

Okay, back to my point...We talk about how our kids are always rushing into things and wanting to hurry up and do this or that...well, aren't we ones to talk?!  Halloween isn't even over with and people are putting up Christmas decorations...before Thanksgiving, which is before Christmas!  Whoa, slow down there, folks.  Why can't we all just slow down.  Why must life be this game of who can get there first?  Who can beat who out of this or that?  Everyone wants that edge.  

And another thing is...I love Thanksgiving.  What a great way to START the Christmas season...by remembering what we're thankful for.  I can't think of a better process to help us be thankful for what we have and get us in the giving spirit of Christmas.  To me, Thanksgiving is the kick-off of the Holiday season, you know, it is AFTER Thanksgiving that I get out decorations for Christmas and start most of my Christmas shopping.  (I say "most" because I must confess I have bought a few presents already.)  When I was young, it was the weekend AFTER Thanksgiving that we went out to get a tree.

I know there are many people that go so wild decorating for Christmas that they feel like they must start early.  I'm not mad at you.  I just want you to remember to celebrate Thanksgiving too.  Often times when things are rushed, mistakes are made, important points are lost...the true meaning is forgotten.  If I believed that the reason that retailers were pushing to get their Christmas stuff out early was because they were excited about celebrating the birth of Christ Jesus, I may feel a tad differently about it.  But I'm gonna venture a guess and say it is not about the birth of the Messiah, it is about money, plain and simple, and who gets their Santa Claus ready to go first.  Some of them may not even give one moment's thought to the true meaning of Christmas.

Rush, rush, hurry, hurry.  Always running a ratrace.  We are so spoiled.  We want something, so we get it now.  There is no time to wait patiently and confidently.  Friends, we have to slow down or we really will be celebrating Christmas in July.