The "I" Gift

 

Scrooge at Bob Cratchit's house - Disney's Muppet Christmas Carol

"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all year." ~ Scrooge in a Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

🎁 The trees have come down.  I definitely get the post Christmas blues when the holiday is over.  For about a quarter of a century it was the thought of returning to school after only two short weeks off that dampened my mood.  But now that I'm retired, I think it's because I've lived in my quaint over-decorated world that contains my ginormous quaint Christmas village (now put away), the Christmas carols are over and all that's left are layers of glitter.  The planning of merry get- togethers and festive gatherings is done, as are the fun Pinterest menus.  (However, I refuse to take down my window lights, and in Colorado that's ok because the stock show is coming to town so it's tradition to leave them up. I build tiers for my let-downs.)

So what to do next?  What to look forward to?  If you feel these post holiday doldrums too, we're not alone; PsychCentral said more than half of the people in a survey reported this sadness.  I guess they don't want to leave their vision of a Hallmark Christmas either and get back to the non-holiday normal grind. 

🎁While I think I'm normal for feeling this way, especially because I consider myself the Ghost of Christmas Present, I know many did not enjoy the Hallmark Christmas, nor the family, nor the gatherings.  In fact, Christmas was just barely survived by them, and they are already thinking they get to 'look forward' to it again next year.

And I know there are those who can't wait to get the decorations put away and start organizing for the "New Year/New You" mentality - which I personally think is awesome.  Everyone deserves and needs a fresh start. But we need help getting there in our head.

🎁 Lord, we need a revival in our minds! We need a makeover of the spiritual kind.  We need the Psalm 119 spiritual makeover. 

As the longest Psalm in the bible, it refers to the greatness and glory of God's Word as the lifeline to our hearts and lives.  The NASB version actually uses the word "revive" at least 11 times, and lists the results of seeking after God through His Word:

🎁 Doesn't the word "Revive" sound like medicine for our weary and exhausted souls? Like nourishment to our tired and mundane schedules we are returning to?  And who doesn't need blessings, joy, delight, strength, understanding, wisdom and everything else good the psalmist declares as we learn of God's ways through His word?

Jesus promised  in Matthew 11:28 to give us rest from the fatigue we can feel sometimes.  How?  Through getting to know Him better through His Word.  It's an injection of purpose and peace into our sapped veins.  

🎁 It's the ongoing Christmas regardless of the holiday time, without the lights and cookies.  It's the reminder that Christ being born was just the beginning gift, then He gave us the Holy Spirit to live with daily, as well as the hope we hold onto that He will return because God's Word says He will. 

🎁 You know the intentionality of our gift giving to let others know they are thought of at Christmastime?  Maybe we could keep giving others the thoughtful consideration that they are valued all year, possibly through  invitations to coffee, texts to let them know they are being remembered in prayer, requests of how we can pray for them, the gift of ourselves and time spent with them- so many opportunities. 

The "igift" (get it?).

🎁 There's nothing as exciting and as therapeutic as the gift of introducing others to Jesus with our actions and words.  Bring on the new year!

✙ Dear Lord, we thank You for the Christmas season and how it reminds us of the incredibly merciful gift of Your Son.  It sometimes get crowded out by the activities, so we ask that we can use this time of the year to refocus our minds and purposes on You.  Thank You for the gift of Your Word to guide us and to let us know You better, and we humbly ask that You use us in the upcoming days and months to show You to someone.  Please go before us and order our steps for Your glory.  Amen.