Merry Mass of Christ

*★Merry★* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛
•。★CHRISTmas★ 。* 。
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˚ ˛ •˛•˚ * /______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田   ｜門｜
Remember ♥ Jesus is the Reason for the Season!!!!

Well; I've actually tried to convince myself of that; really I have. But no matter what I've tried I can't seem to get around the fact that that is simply not the reason why people are doing what they are doing this time of year. And even if 'I' have the cross of Christ on my heart and mind, I'm not a one man army. To a certain extent I am affected by the primary reasons and motivations of others around me when there are just 'so' many of them.

"Make every thought captive for Christ" ; that's what I read in the scriptures ... "Keep songs of God in your heart and mind all of the time". The first century believers were affected every day of their life by the truth that Jesus paid the price that they should have paid for the things that 'they' did which separated them from God. That's the kind of stuff that I have learned from God both directly and by what I read in the scriptures ... But that's not what people are doing or thinking when they are shopping for little Joey's toy truck, rushing off to the next family and friend's Christmas party, or making sure they have a new Christmas outfit so they don't feel left out that everyone else is going to have a new outfit.

Not all of my Masses of Christ have been bad in this sense; though most of them have. I have a tougher and tougher time having anything to do with this season. And even now I'm only a tag-a-long. I go where the family is going. And the only enjoyment I get out of this time is my daughter's beautiful smile and laugh as I hold her up high enough to touch the twinkling lights whose beauty I can only really see through the innocence of a child. But then that's not a season specific thing. My daughter gets the same joy out of my simply holding her up high enough so she can touch the ceiling in our home. And then she leans forward elatedly giggling in a sort of jump as she leans into daddy's arms.

"Are you having a good time?" Thats the question I am inevitably asked to which I honestly reply "Not really." ... and here comes the followup question; "why?"; to which I answer roughly to the tune of the paragraphs that I wrote above being sure to add how Jesus gave more to us than any best friend or family member gave to us. At least I hope to remember that part and not to be so disheartened by what is going on around me that I can't remember to share that part.

So ok I do find a little joy out of the opportunity to share the faith that God's given me. But that joy is conditional. And I know that the joy that God's given me in Christ should not ever be tainted by what is happening around me. Most of the the time it isn't. But I have to say that the "christmas" holiday season really take a toll on that for me.

I hope that the answers I give those that ask will help someone else to understand what every day is supposed to be about. A moment not thinking about what Christ did for us is a wasted moment. I've personally had too many of those moments in my life. My prayer is that every family member, and those that might want to call me friend, would know that joy. The joy of having every thought filled with the cross. Those are the moments I cherish the most. Then every day can be a Merry mass of Christ.