Just a Whole Lot Of Joy

Yes, it’s less than a month until Christmas. Just so you know, it didn’t sneak up on you, it came just like all the previous years. One day at a time. For some, they don’t think about Christmas until the music on the radio changes. Other people are so focused on life, work, school, and so many other things that one day in December they suddenly think about it.

And yet, most of the world is involved is some way. People call it many things. Some say: Seasons Greetings or Happy Holiday, and for them, that is what it is. Originally Dec 25^th was a pagan holiday that the Christian world jumped on board with so both celebrations were on the same day. As time went by the festival disappeared and the world under Constantine changed all that.

I’m writing you today to let you know ‘it’s almost here’. But I’m wondering if we can change that sudden shock of realizing that Christ has come. Don’t we all feel joy when we see people we love? No, it’s not happiness, it’s actually joy. Why I think that is because I believe that happiness is based on something that happens. Where I believe joy is based on being with people.

Case in point: I’m happy when I have a nice bowl of chilli. But when I visited my grandmother’s sister it was a joy to see her again and it was not happiness. I was happy to visit her but it was a joy to be with her. Hope I explained it well enough. Just read something that talks about getting together at church each week. It’s not about the happening, it’s about; ‘the joy of belonging’.

I believe it is the same with Christmas. I’m happy it comes but the joy I feel at Christmas is all wrapped up in the person of Christ and getting daily closer to Him. Advent is a process of daily walking towards Him and being aware that we are getting daily closer to Christ as walk through our daily lives. It’s a process where we experience a greater awareness of Him in our world and in our lives. Now that is real joy – in Jesus.

Something to think about.

Rob