A Christmas Challenge

'Tis the season to be jolly!

Here it is: the beginning of December, and before long, it'll be Christmas and we'll be saying, "What happened to this month?"

If you're like me, you haven't gone out and done your Christmas shopping yet. We all will probably make a trip to the mall or to some other store within the next couple weeks to make sure we're ready for Christmas. And, of course, there's all that food we need to buy for Christmas dinner, Christmas parties, and snacks in general. Don't want to run out of that! :)

Have you noticed how people don't call Christmas Christmas anymore? Over the past years the word has been taken out of the holiday so that this time of year is now called exactly what I just wrote: a holiday. If you buy something at the store and go to check it out you will receive your receipt and your change, and then the cashier will wish you "Happy holidays." Please understand that it is not wrong to use this phrase, but when it is used in place of Christmas all the time, people have succeeded in taking Christ out of the season, if you know what I mean.


Why don't we do something about it? I don't mean that we should be calling our senators and asking them to pass a bill stating that everyone must use the phrase "Merry Christmas" and that "Happy holidays" is strictly forbidden. I'm asking 'Why don't we stand out a bit from what everyone else is saying?'


So here's my challenge to you and to myself: As we're out and about this Christmas season, maybe at a store or restaurant, and someone says "Happy holidays!" PLEASE DON'T PUNCH THEM IN THE NOSE!!!! :) That would not be a good way of sharing the love of Christ! However, why don't we just say (politely, of course) right back to them,"And a merry Christmas to you, too!" You know what? People probably wouldn't get upset if we were to say that. My mom has started to reply to people that way and no one has gotten angry or defensive about it. In fact, they probably don't even care, and who knows? Maybe it will stand out to someone, or maybe it will simply be something that no one notices.

I know that this will be a bit difficult for me, because it is so much easier to reply "The same to you!" and be on our way, than it is to take the time to wish people a merry Christmas. I know also that sometimes we(I) might forget, or might be too scared, but why not stand out a bit this Christmas? Why not be a little different from the world?

" If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I(Jesus) have chosen you out of the world." ~John 15:19a

~Princess Gloria