Every time I watch a Charlie Brown Christmas, I cannot help but get choked up when Linus talks about the meaning of Christmas. And this is really interesting because I haven’t been to church regularly in about 2 years. My faith is still very much alive inside, though, and at Christmas, it reminds me of Jesus and who He became to the world. For me, I’d say most of my thinking happens when I’m cooking.
Luke 2:40
And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.
Regardless of how you or I feel about religion, Christmas really has nothing to do with you or me. It has nothing to do with gifts ands lights and decorations (though I still love them)… it’s all about HIM…about Jesus and what his birth and his life meant to the world, and thus, what we can become to the world. Christ was a beacon of hope for helping the needy, feeding the hungry, and loving the world. He was and is an icon of GRACE.
No one can deny the inspiration Christ has brought to so many of us to love with abandon and continue to hope. Who of us can’t celebrate that? It is so hard to think of Christmas as more of an internal rather than external celebration, but if I could do that, Christmas truly becomes amazing. I would feel honored to be a fraction of the person Jesus was.
This Christmas season, as you might have guessed, I have done a lot of cooking. It is a way I can serve others and is very therapeutic for me. With a roller coaster of a year behind me, I truly want to use this season as a way to energize and get excited for the year ahead and the changes I want to make within myself. As much as Christmas is about loving others, I have realized how vital it is to show yourself as much, if not more, love.
Though it is easy to think of our pains and loneliness, Christmas would be transformational if we used it as a time of encouragement, reflection, and introspection. It is my prayer for us all that we could find a way to relax and regroup, whether it be over a cup of tea, or in cooking or baking something delicious for loved ones.
I hope you are encouraged this December in knowing that it doesn’t have to be so exhausting, but if we can slow down and recharge, some wonderful things could happen. For me, cooking forces me to slow down and think about the process rather than the end result. I am beginning to understand that the result would be nothing without the process, and that applies to every aspect of our lives.
As it is Christmas Eve, I wish you a day full of love and hope and serenity.
"There is more to life than increasing its speed." Gandhi
~Linbrooke
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