Christmas Chaos

CHRISTMAS CHAOS

Christmas, a time of joy, peace and love that is expressed in many of the Christmas cards that paint a lovely, kind picture of Christmas. Snow capped homes, a beautiful Mary, a gentle baby, cute animals, a lighted tree, an evergreen wreath. Some American thoughts or statements about Christmas may be: “I’m looking forward to seeing family,” “I can’t stand my family,” “I can’t wait to open my gifts,” “I don’t like shopping,” “Christmas is wonderful,” “Christmas is depressing,” “I love the carols,” “I love the eggnog,” “The store lines are too long,” “The decorations are beautiful,” “Can I see Santa?,” “Santa’s not real,” “Yes, he is,” “Christmas is Jesus,” “Merry Christmas,” “Hey, that is my parking spot,” “Oh, just what I wanted (not really),” “Christmas is for children,” Hey, I’m an adult and I love to receive gifts,” “I don’t know what to buy my wife,” “I’m buying my husband socks,” “Mom, can we make cookies tonight?,” “Let’s drive around and look at lights,” “I’m too tired,” “Ho-ho-ho,” and finally, “Merry Christmas.”

Christmas. A time of joy, peace and love. A time when people give to charitable organizations. A time of the year when people become friendly except for line rage, road rage and parking lot rage. A time of year when people begin to reflect on the year almost gone. A time of the year when people party–I mean PARTY. A time of the year when we eat–I mean EAT. A time of the year that is fun. A time of the year with great music. A time of the year for giving and receiving. Christmas, oh the joy, peace and love that is spoken of on radio and television via the airwaves, and that is heard through beautiful carols in the malls, restaurants, homes and cars by way of CD’s and 8-track tapes (oops, Freudian slip). Christmas. A time for friends, family, gifts, children, vacation, Santa Claus, trees and lights. Christmas. A time of joy, peace and love when families come together. A time of the year when the same type of songs are listened to with brand new excitement.

Christmas parties. Christmas shopping. Christmas cookies. Christmas dinner. Christmas trees. Christmas lights. Christmas decorations. Christmas parades. Christmas carols. Christmas presents. Christmas friends (those you send cards to once a year). Christmas cards. Christmas Candlelight Services. Christmas Eve. Christmas Morning. Whew, no wonder we are dead tired at the end of December.

For you and me, may this Christmas be full of joy, peace, love and chaos. “Chaos? Why chaos?”, you say. “I experience enough chaos in my everyday life; let’s not add it to the Christmas list.” Yes, Christmas chaos. And please know I’m not suggesting we add to our list the things we need to do and the places we need to be. The Christmas chaos I’m speaking of will come in the quiet, reflective moment (most likely very few, unless you plan them) that you as an individual will spend jogging down memory lane. Christmas chaos will help you better experience God’s joy, peace and love this Christmas. Christmas chaos will help you become more joyous, peaceful and loving. Christmas chaos will help you deal with life’s chaos. Good chaos. That sounds like an oxymoron (whatever that is) but in the case of Christmas chaos, it is not so. “Okay, okay,” you say, “What is Christmas chaos?” Christmas chaos is you and God spending time together and your allowing the God who brought us Christmas to speak to you in a very real way as you read scripture, talk and listen to God, and reflect on the past year. Christmas chaos is you, yes you, allowing God to show you you. I know this sounds chaotic, but it’s not. It really is Christmas. Your experiencing God’s love. Your allowing God to bring some good chaos into your life as He helps you see your shortcomings and not your wife’s, or child’s, or friends’, or neighbors’. God dealing with you and your attitude of unforgiveness, or racism, or apathy, or jealousy, or ungratefulness. God in His loving and truthful way bringing chaos into your life as He asks you to call someone at whom you are mad, or write to someone who hasn’t written you back since the last time you wrote him or her. God may ask you to smile at someone in the store (God forbid), or to allow someone in front of you in line who doesn’t have as many items, even though the line is a half-mile long.

God will seek to make you more like His Son, Christ. And this will bring chaos. It will bring some discomfort. It may make you a little afraid when God says, “Hey, what about that secret closet in you heart?” or “What about your ________?” or “Will you please start thinking of others and not just yourself or your own family?” Ouch. Chaos. Good chaos.

The God who came out of glorious Heaven to enter our little, dingy domain called earth wants to be with you this Christmas. He wants to help you better your attitude, be more joyous, peaceful and loving. He wants to be a part of your everyday driving, working, marriage, parenting, friendship, and spending (oops). He loves you and me and desires to enter our territory and bring some Christmas chaos. Good chaos. Kinda like “Chicken Soup For the Soul” that is prepared and warmed on the oven of God as you sit still with Him and He develops you into a more complete, joyous, peaceful, loving person. Isn’t chaos good? Well, Christmas chaos can be. Experience it. Plan it. Do it. (Sounds like a commercial.)

This Christmas allow God to show you you. Open your life’s door and say, “God, come on in and let’s talk.” Place yourselves in “timeout” and permit the Inventor of Christmas to move in your life. Two key words: God and you. So type them into your life and allow God to search your soul and you will experience joy, peace, love and Christmas chaos.

Psalm 139:23-24: Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.

Merry Chaos!

Steve Nethery