Merry Thanksmas!


It's that time of year again. Thanksgiving is past, and Christmas is yet to come. Except...

Except that some of us choose to celebrate some type of "thanksgiving" all year long. Some of us long to thank God everyday for everything he does for us, because one day' s thanks can't begin to account for all of his blessings. Some blessings are obvious, like food and family. Others are less tangible, but still essential. We take so much for granted, don't we? Yet, without God's love for us, we wouldn't have air to breathe, gravity to hold us down on the ground, or the know-how to fabricate our homes and cars. Without God, we wouldn't have our bodies, so "fearfully and wonderfully made." Without God's grace, we would cease to exist.

Now that our national holiday of thankfulness has passed, we look ahead to Christmas. Except...

Except that the stores and malls have been looking ahead to Christmas for far too long already. Commercialism is alive and well in the USA.

Except, in the midst of shopping and baking and children's programs and parades, Christmas has lost some of its meaning. So many of the Christmas carols that we hear in the stores and on the radio leave out all mention of Christ. Many families leave Jesus completely out of their holiday celebrations.

Except, that December 25th is not really Jesus' birthday, because no one really knows the exact date he was born. But that doesn't really matter, because Christians who lived long ago picked a date to celebrate Jesus' birth, and that's okay.

Except, that some of us celebrate Jesus' birth and life and death and resurrection all year long. I guess that brings us back to a year-long attitude of gratitude. Because without Jesus, we are nothing. Without him, we have nothing to celebrate.

And all of this brings me back to these days between November's Thanksgiving celebration and the month-long celebration of Christmas in December. This week, at my house, it looks like this:

  • Autumn pumpkins still sit on my doorstep, but our outdoor Christmas decorations, which were installed last week, when the weather was still quite warm, are lit up to help proclaim Jesus' birth.
  • Fall wreaths still adorn my front doors, but they will soon be replaced with more appropriate Christmas decorations.
  • Our lawn is still beautifully green, but snow is predicted for next week.
  • I haven't put away the Thanksgiving turkeys yet, but they will be gone before next weekend, when we are planning to set up the Christmas tree and decorate inside the house for Christmas.
  • We just cleaned out the refrigerator to get rid of the last of the Thanksgiving leftovers, and we're starting to plan our Christmas baking. 
  • We used the last of the Thanksgiving napkins tonight for supper. I haven't bought any new Christmas napkins this year, but I spotted a few in my holiday napkin stash in the basement pantry.
  • I haven't begun much Christmas shopping yet, but I'm "making some lists and checking them twice."
  • I'll admit that I started singing a few Christmas songs before Thanksgiving, but I'll be singing even more in the days to come.
On a side note, I'll just mention that Levi and Bill were both excited to install our new "busy man's Christmas lights." No ladders were involved. Little time was needed. They spent a few minutes installing the projector that bounces little green and red lights all over the front of our house, and through the windows into our front entry and, upstairs, on the ceiling of Levi's room. The new lights provide a perfect way to usher in the Christmas season.


Last week, I said "Happy Thanksgiving" to the people I met. Next week, I'll say "Merry Christmas." But, for this week of transition, perhaps I should just say "Merry Thanksmas!" 


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