It's that wonderful time of year once again, as we all prepare for Christmas.
I know that not everyone celebrates Christmas and that is okay. Everyone comes from different backgrounds and traditions. The most important part of the season is not just the wonderful and delicious food, the presents, spending time with family and singing Christmas carols. No, the aspect of Christmas comes from deep within us: our hearts. Where am I getting this concept from? This message comes from a song I listened to as a little girl growing up and still feel emotional about every time I hear it. The song is called "Christmas Is All In The Heart" by Christian artist Steven Curtis Chapman. This is how the song goes:
"In a one bedroom apartment
On the humble side of town
Stands a little Christmas tree
Looks a lot like Charlie Brown's
And underneath there's one little gift for him
And one little gift for her.
After six months on the new job
They're still barely getting by.
So in the way of decorations
There's nothing there to catch your eye.
But both of them would be the first to say
We're together, we're going to have the merriest Christmas anyway
'Cause Christmas is all in the heart
That's where the feeling starts,
And like a fire inside, it touches every part
Christmas is all in the heart.
And even if no white snow falls,
Well, that's all right because
The joy can still be found, wherever you are
Christmas is all, all in the heart."
There's more to the song, but this right here explains so much. What the song means is that we can have so little shelter, food, clothing, job and even giving and receiving little, but we can still have joy no matter what. It doesn't come from the gifts, food, or a job. It comes from our hearts. Our hearts then transfer that joy to other people and the cycle continues on.
I know not everyone has a heart of joy. Some people like to be realistic and pessimistic when it comes down to any situations involving people-I get that. People cause us so much pain that we feel our joy is sucked right out of us and buried in the ground. We even feel sadness when we realize a loved one is not here to celebrate.Here's the problem: when we do that so much, to the point where we don't want to deal with our own families and wallow in our grief, it becomes our problem, not theirs. We're the ones developing a cold heart, when other people are trying to fill us with joy and get our minds in a better place.
As Christmas comes this year, find something to warm your heart, something that brings you joy. Whether it is giving gifts to friends, preparing food with family, spending time with someone you haven't seen in a while, working extra hours to earn a living, watching gag reels on YouTube, drinking hot chocolate or tea while watching a movie-- whatever it is, find joy to thaw that cold heart. Find joy this season and pass it on, because Christmas is all in the heart.
