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Stop and think about those in need Dear Editor: With the weather being unseasonably warm lately, I've found myself saying, "It just doesn't feel like Christmas." But the more I think about it, the more I believe that the weather really doesn't have much to do with whether or not it feels like Christmas. What should Christmas feel like? I think back to my childhood and how the excitement of Santa and being with family was almost too much for me to handle. It seemed like it took forever for all of it to finally arrive. Flash forward to the present: I now feel as soon as September passes that I'm hit with Christmas. Before I can blink it's all over, and I'm left asking, What just happened here?" So what exactly has happened from childhood to adulthood that would make the holidays feel so different? Everywhere I look I see elaborate Christmas displays boasting of huge sales and various deals. They beckon to everyone that passes by. Commercials on television urge us to rush into select stores for the six-hour sales, telling us we will miss out on the best deals ever if we don't. Sale flyers in our mailboxes offer "last minute gift ideas," giving us a feeling that time is almost up. What underlying theme do all of these have in common? The answer is short and simple: Hurry! Not one of those displays or advertisements offer peace to all or tidings of comfort and joy. None of them mention Christ's birth. Most of them don't even wish a Merry Christmas to anyone. And I'm just as guilty of getting caught up in all of it as everyone else. What happened to the days when mothers had time to bake cookie from scratch for their children to enjoy? Why don't we sit peacefully in a nice, neat and tidy, cozy home and sip hot chocolate with our children while we watch Christmas favorites on television? Why don't we go caroling or go for a drive to look at lights anymore. Why don't we visit shut-ins and spread holiday cheer to everyone around us? All of this is not some childhood dream or storybook fantasy I've read about; all of these actually happened n days gone by. Oh, how I wish we had them back! I think it is time for us all to stop, take a deep breath and slow down! And for those of us that say we simply can't slow down, I say we all make time for what really matters to us. If work, parties, shopping and "keeping up with the Joneses" is our priority, then that's what we spend our time focusing on. I really think we all need to re-think our priorities. If we would put God first in our lives I think everything else would fall into place. I think we waste a lot of our time looking for things to make us happy when we should be looking to Jesus. This Christmas I challenge you to stop and think about those that are in need instead of worrying about whether or not the gift you bought for someone is going to be nice enough. After all, none of us could ever give the best gift; that gift was given to us about 2,000 years ago in a stable in Bethlehem!
Tara Gates
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