'Tis The Season

 ‘Tis the season to be…to be what?  Well, the song says “jolly,” and I suppose if that’s what  you want to be as you’re decking the halls, that’s fine and dandy.  But for me, ‘tis the season to be…”between holidays.”  Yes, Thanksgiving 2023 is in the record books, and Christmas 2023 has yet to descend upon us.  We are in the “in between” time…the time when we hear holiday music everywhere; when we make plans and watch the weather forecast; when we decide where we will celebrate the holiday, and with whom; when we spend entirely too much money on things; when at least some of us try to remind ourselves of the real reason for the season…a time of thanksgiving and celebration of the coming of God Himself to humanity.

Yet even with all of the hurrying, the overspending, the planning and the traveling, there is value in this in-between time.  This time can be a reminder of several things, not all of which have to do with the holiday past and the holiday to come.

We are reminded during this time that the year is rapidly coming to a close.  And that word “rapidly” is the operative word of the day.  The days seem to fly by anymore, and the months that some years ago seemed to drag on forever are just a quick fire in the pan.  And the years…don’t even get me started.

Looking in the mirror isn’t nearly the fun it used to be.  Chins sag along with a lot of other things.  New aches and pains pop up more regularly.  One’s stable of doctors and specialists is becoming more an more unmanageable as the various organs and systems which once worked together in more-or-less perfect harmony now work together mostly less.

We are also reminded that family and friends are important to us.  This time of the year may be one of the only times we see some of our family.  Some of our friends.  This is also a time when those relationships which have been somewhat strained recently become even more so, and we give in to that stress and strain by pulling back or attacking rather than confronting the issues as adults who long for relationship and are willing to make things right again.

We are reminded that nothing stays the same forever.  Oh, it may appear that things remain the same when looking at things from day to day or hour to hour.  But we all know that people move on.  Things wear out.  Relationships mature and grow…or wither and die.  We like it in our personal rut, and often have little impetus to look over the walls of that rut to see the changes that are even now taking place.  But there comes a time when change overcomes the deepest of ruts and forces us to move…grow…change…or wither…shrink…and die.

Lastly, we are also reminded of, to use a well-worn phrase…the reason for the season.  God providing abundantly for His creation and His people.  God making good on His promises to restore, renew, rescue, and refresh.  The Biblical story of God and his relationship with the humans he created is one of love, devotion, and compassion.  The humanity of Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, is both comforting to us as well as challenging.  Comforting because we know that God knows what it’s like to be human.  Challenging because we humans have a perfect example of life and living to emulate…and we know we can’t fully do that…but we also know that God’s grace and mercy fill in where we have let go.

So, as we settle in for this “in between” time at the close of the calendar year, may we do so with purpose and continued thanksgiving for each and every day.  “God bless us, every one…”