Submission by Dr. Glenn Mollette
How many more Christmases will you have?
Will you have fifty more? Will you have a dozen more? Maybe you will have just one more—maybe. There are no guarantees of a certain number of Christmases.
My grandpa Hinkle suffered from heart issues. I remember him experiencing an episode where his heart was bothering him, and he put nitroglycerin pills under his tongue to calm the effects. “I may never see another Christmas,” he stated as his pain eased off and he became more relaxed. It seems like he did celebrate a couple more Christmases before he died at the age of 83.
Since we aren’t sure how many more Christmases we will enjoy, let’s make this a good one.
Focus your eyes and mind on the person of Christmas—Jesus. The shepherds came to see him and left rejoicing at what they saw, heard, and experienced. Jesus gave them something to talk about, something to do, and their story was compelling. The Wise Men traveled from a long distance to worship Jesus. They did so because Jesus was worth it. Jesus is worth it. He is worthy of our focus. Our eyes and minds are in so many places today. There is so much to hear and see, even if you never leave your house. The television, social media, and more are constantly showing us things that get our attention but sometimes make life fuzzy and mentally chaotic. Focusing our attention on Jesus clears our minds and sharpens our perspectives.
Don’t max out. Maxing out is not fun or healthy. This means don’t overspend. Don’t spend money you don’t have. Don’t try to do things that push you to the brink of exhaustion. What good does it do you or anyone if you go in the hole financially and mentally over the holiday? Step back, be reasonable, and use common sense in all that you want to do.
Reach out and love others. If this is your last Christmas, then you want to let those significant people in your life know that you love them and care about them. They will remember next Christmas that they were loved by you the previous year.
You may want to do something creative or different for Christmas. Maybe there is someplace special you want to be. This is not always possible. Many soldiers will be in distant lands on Christmas. Many relatives will be in distant towns. Be where you want to be if you can on Christmas. If you can’t, then try to make as many phone calls as possible to those people.
This Christmas, don’t be sad, mad, or bad—be joyful and celebrate this good day. If we are here, then rejoice. If there is an empty chair at the table, remember that to be absent from the body is to be present with God, if we love and accept him. This is our hope: that those who are no longer with us are in a better place than we are, and someday we will be with them in that beautiful place.
Regardless of how many Christmases you have left, be filled with joy for this one.
