30 days
until Africa
Lets see... this is approaching so fast! I still feel like just yesterday I was in Ghana with the crew from the summer! You know you love something when thats all you think about. It consumes your mind and wraps around your heart. I am in love with my savior and best friend, Jesus Christ, but also the little kids in Ghana. I can't wait to get back.
Christmas is approaching and I see everyones facebook status' and twitter tweets about starting to enjoy the Christmas music and celebrate the holidays. People are getting their Christmas trees, turning on Christmas music, decorating in Christmas spirit, counting down the days until Christmas, and doing all the fun Christmas things. But I feel as if people look forward to Christmas for the wrong reasons. Of course its fun and exciting to be opening presents gathered around family and loved ones, but if we didn't have Jesus in our lives, there would be no Christmas. He is the reason for all of our cheer and all of our happiness the month of December (and even before Thanksgiving, people start celebrating early.. ha) He is the reason we open presents. He is the reason we listen to Christmas music.
He is the reason we are alive.
He died for our sins.
We celebrate for him, but why can't we celebrate for him every day?
Why do people get so happy about the Christmas holiday but do not go to church on a regular basis or do not have a relationship with the Father? It doesn't seem fair that they get to live happily and open presents and do all the fun things you do during Christmas when they don't even have faith.
Our parents have always taught us to be good because Santa is watching and he can put us on his naughty or nice list depending on our actions. But why the metaphor? Why couldn't they just say God is watching and our sins determine our future. Isn't Santa's naughty list like the list God has of all our sins? And why do we still get presents after we have been "naughty"? We shouldn't consume our thoughts and happiness around the materialistic things and all the presents we get to open. Who cares if you got a 100 dollar NorthFace or some Ugg boots for Christmas. Does that honestly make you happy? Faith and love are the biggest presents you can get. And God is giving them to us not on Christmas, not during the month of December, but every single day. Through the sun and through the storm you can find God's everlasting love.
I pray that this Christmas, while I am in Africa, my friends and family will reflect on the real meaning of Christmas. I pray that during the holiday cheer and Christmas music and facebook Christmas countdowns you will find the biggest present of all. You will experience Jesus and praise him for the life you have been given. He died for us so why can't we live EVERYDAY for him?
With love,
Catherine
