Are you ready for Christmas?

It's the question everyone asks the week before Christmas,  "Are you ready for Christmas?"  My usual responses consist of "Not really", "Not even close", and just plain "No".  I was thinking about this on my way to work one morning.  If someone asks me this question, I interpret it as "Have you finished all of your Christmas shopping and gotten gifts for everyone on your list?"   As soon as I answer their question in the negative, I start counting how many days I have left and begin wondering how I'm going to complete the shopping, clean the house, and prepare a couple of dishes by Christmas Eve.  I can feel the tension building.  Not a good thing.

I need to remember that Christmas is the annual commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Luke 2:8 - 14 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

I want to celebrate like the angels did by sharing the Good News and praising God.  So the next time someone asks me, "Are you ready for Christmas?",  I need to say, "Yes, I am ready for Christmas! I love celebrating Jesus' birthday!"  

“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”  Merry Christmas!