What grade will you get for Christmas?

Image by ellisedelacruz on Pixabay

The question seems ridiculous, but is it? How many of us tell others how our Christmas preparations are coming along? Some do it for something to talk about. Others may do it out of a need to prove to others they are doing all the right things to prepare for Christmas. People may have different motivations than this for checking off all the boxes on how to do Christmas.

Were you raised with the cultural expectation to ask people, “How are you doing at getting ready for Christmas?” Sadly, many, though, feel they will be judged for putting little to no effort in getting ready for Christmas.

If they don’t have all the gifts bought, food including goodies, cards sent, tree up and decorated, lights outside their home, Santa and his reindeer displayed on their lawn or roof, their home chock full of Christmas decorations, wear holiday clothes including one of those loud Christmas sweaters they get out once a year, and for an added touch, a deer running in the field by their home – they get an F for Christmas. Okay, the deer is overkill

In the movie Funny Farm, the Farmers aren’t getting along well with townsfolk in the fictional town of Redbud. They make a deal to give the town $15,000 and $50 each to those who make a good impression on prospective buyers.

Here are ten reasons why Karen and I don’t make the grade for Christmas:

1)We don’t buy a lot of gifts.

2)We budget our Christmas spending.

3)We don’t wrap presents we give to one another. We go on kind of a scavenger hunt for low-cost presents we get from an online 24-hour auction. Then, Karen drives to each home in our area to get what we won in them. We bought an ebook reader with a non-glare screen for $18. It has never been used before. Yes, it does work. A 30-inch wide wreath for our front door was only $9. A portable work table for things like writing, craftwork, and doing puzzles was only $19.

4)There are no displays of Santa and his reindeer on our roof or lawn.

5)There are no fancy Christmas decorations. There is a nativity scene and an angel with a gold wreath on top of my desk.

6) We don’t wear color-coordinated Christmas clothes. We fall well below the high standard set by Christmas movies. Notice how even homeless people never have any ragged clothes. They wear the latest in Christmas fashions.

7) We don’t wear those “loud” Christmas sweaters.

8} Instead of sending out cards we send out ecards. We make phone calls to the people we care about.

9) No tree. Shocking, but it’s true.

10)We only play some Christmas pop songs.

We have lots of goodies and junk food. Of course, none of that is in our home after New Year’s Day. Would we lie to you? 🙂

There is no perfect way to celebrate Christmas. Our choices on how to do it will be different from yours.

There are no grades for Christmas.

The most important thing to remember at Christmas or any day is to love others. That was the instruction Christ gave to His disciples. Jesus said to them, “I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples: if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35, NASB).

God cares far more about you caring for others.

But, hey, if you want to have a deer run across your field, go for it. If you do, though, don’t be surprised if someone says, “You watched Funny Farm.”

Enjoy the holiday season!

I’m a sinner saved by grace who teaches others about it.