.svg)
Have yourself a merry little Christmas;
Let your heart be light.
Isn’t it funny how the greatest seasons of joy and celebration are often also the most busy and stressful times of year? I find this to be especially true as Christmas approaches each year.
There’s the mom who wants Christmas to be perfect for her family. She spends hours decorating, shopping, cooking, addressing Christmas cards, and planning the events that surround this special day, only to find she feels overwhelmed and underwater.
There’s the business professional trying to hit his sales quota for the end of the year. Instead of enjoying time with his family, he works late into the night, hoping to take time off closer to Christmas.
There’s the pastor planning Christmas Eve services and working hard to make sure volunteers are coordinated and everything is perfect for church members and guests. He is so deep in the weeds that, in spite of his role as a minister, it’s often difficult to keep his focus on the true reason for the season. Amidst the family, friends, food, presents, parties, programs, and end of the year goals, this season provides more opportunities to feel overwhelmed than ever before. As the stress builds, the charge to “let your heart be light” can feel like an impossible task.
But let’s take a step back together and imagine an even more chaotic Christmas than the ones we experience today. Imagine Mary on a donkey, traveling the five-day road from Nazareth to the small town of Bethlehem. She feels each crack and rock on the road beneath her and holds herself steady on the donkey at nine months pregnant. On the dusty road, her stomach churns as she consider the census ordered, and the taxes she and Joseph will have to pay before the birth of their baby. Finally, Mary and Joseph arrive in Bethlehem only to find that there is nowhere to stay. Mary’s heart sinks, and the contractions start. The only place to go is a filthy stable, full of animals, dirt, feces, and hay. The stench is pungent, and setting is unfit to welcome the King of the universe, but nonetheless, his cries pierce the night.
"Have yourself a merry little Christmas; let your heart be light." - Hugh Martin
Perhaps, Mary felt like she had failed Jesus already, as she wrapped him in swaddling clothes and placed him in a manger. To her, the first Christmas must have felt overwhelmingly chaotic. So, what did it take for Mary to keep her heart light? I wonder if as she looked into Jesus’s little eyes, it caused her to stop, rest, and remember the grace that would save the world.
During this Christmas season, take some time to stop, rest, and remember. It doesn’t matter if everything is perfect. Take a deep breath and enjoy your friends, family, this season, and the meaning behind it.
Let your heart be light.
