Do you really like Christmas?

The other night while we were driving to one of the many events that crowd our calendars during the month of December, I turned to my hubby, and sighed. 

I sighed one of those deep, sighs. The kind of sigh that can get you in trouble cause those in ear shot might think you're disgusted....

anyway...

I turned to him and asked him this question.

Do you really like Christmas?

He replied...well of course. 

I said

Yeah

I know what you mean....I love Christmas

the celebration of the birth of Jesus...but the stress that comes with the season.

I 

could 

do 

without.

A friend of mine told me about Ann Voskamps book about Advent. I read her blog, and have read her devotions for advent in the past, but this year she has a new book to help us prepare ourselves for 

the 

coming

of Christ

in 

the midst

of 

all 

of our 

secular lives....

I read it...I like it

But

Sometimes

Still

The 

Stress of

Christmas

finds 

me and wears me down.

Oh to bottle up that anticipation of a child waiting for Christmas...

Thinking it will never arrive

but as a parent...realizing it arrives all too fast.

but yesterday

on my way to one of those shopping trips I passed the little church on the corner.

There were no fancy ribboned decorations there, no fancy light displays, but simply a cross...a very plain cross, with a sign

with 

red 

words..

that simply stated

This I did for you

John 3:16

I snapped a quick photo with my phone while paused at the red light.

The church at the corner has it right

Christmas...it's about the cross...

nothing 

fancy, ribboned, or lighted

but

simply a cross

 with a message...

a gift.

so today, when I found myself out with the rest of my county making those last minute preparations.

My attitude had

a 

glimpse of that 

childhood 

wonder of Christmas and I took the words from Ann's book to heart.

Turning my secular tasks into something sacred.

Jesus is the gift of Christmas. Have you received this precious, awesome gift?

Breathe a silent prayer, asking God to clear the way, turning your secular tasks into something sacred.

  The Greatest Gift --Ann Voskamp