only club stores, on the last weekend
of July and what to my wondering eyes
should appear but a massive, glisten-
ing display of Christmas decorations.
Seriously? I am wearing shorts and
sandals so suffice it to say, I am not
dressed for a northeastern Christmas.
The burning sensation on my forehead
and the pulsating vein on my temple
are giving away that I am a little miffed
at this display. Passers-by are nodding
in agreement or adding their own mi-
nor protests to the holiday cheer dis-
played so early. As I turn and walk away
the door decoration blinks "Merry
Christmas" in a rainbow of colors.
just want to shout, "Bah, Humbug!"
Something tells me I might have a few
supporters, too. Every year we come
to this wonderful holiday all about
sharing, giving and love, driven by
traditions secular and faith-based to
celebrate the best in us. But I must
confess that lately much of the cele-
bration has been manufactured on my
end. Wow ... did I just say that? Try-
ing desperately year after year to have
a "good" Christmas for my family, to
meet the demands of friends and ex-
tended family so that their Christmas
can be "good," over�extending every
facet of life for the sake of making this
we are in awe of and celebrate the
intersection between heaven and
earth. Christmas is about the birth
of Jesus, God's Son, who came
to earth to act as an intermediary
between the Creator and creation.
Christmas hymn that epitomizes
the intended result of Heaven's
intersection with earth:
Born to set Thy people free.
From our fears and sins release us;
Let us fi nd our rest in Thee.
Israel's Strength and Consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art
Dear Desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart!
Born a child and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit,
Rule in all our hearts alone.
By Thine all-suffi cient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.
you'll fi nd release from your fears
and rest for your heart in Christ,
who was born a child and yet a king.
its toll. Even my faith has taken a hit.
Again I am frustrated trying to explain
why the Lord of the universe came to
earth through the miraculous impreg-
nation of a teenager, resulting in a tiny,
helpless baby boy wrapped in cloth
and laid in a horse feeding trough.
What am I supposed to do with that?
was willing to be part of the solution.
I'm not sure I can satisfy that condition
this time. Honestly, I would say I need
a do-over for Christmas. But where
do I start? Do I cancel Christmas for
the family? There's a family meeting I
don't want to have. Do I excuse my-
self from the parties and meals with
a glib "I am trying to get back to the
real meaning of Christmas"? Do I take
hold of the little baby Jesus and say
"Coochie coo"? Imagine that. Taking
God into my arms and smiling; letting
Him grasp my fi nger and hearing Him
coo as I say nonsense words in my
best soothing voice; watching Him as
He gazes with wonder into my eyes;
holding Him close and feeling His
warmth against mine. Wait ... what if
that was why He came that way? What
if He came to earth, helpless and un-
assuming as a child, so I could ap-
proach Him without fear, giving me an