After The Tree Comes Down

           In 1969 Peggy Lee made her song “Is That All There Is?” famous. Her sarcastic question and “eat, drink and be merry” attitude tapped into the hopelessness that permeated the culture of the late 60’s.

          Almost 50 years later, the question is still appropriate to ask and the hopelessness we felt then still raises its ugly head in the 21^st century, especially this time of year. When the Christmas tree comes down and the presents are unwrapped, forgotten or returned, we are prone to scratch our head and ask, “Is that all there is?” Did we endure the holiday displays since early October, the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales and the maxing out of our credit cards just to pack it all away again in red and green tubs for next year? Did all of the hype, decorating and buying make any lasting difference at all? If that’s all there was to your holiday…then probably not.

I’m sure I’m not alone when I say, each year I find myself being tempted to move further and further away from the things that matter and make a lasting impression. In a disposable world we have disposable holidays. The day after Christmas, left-over stock is disposed of quickly by reducing the prices by 70% and Valentine’s Day cards hit the shelves. They too will be disposed of in like manner in favor of Easter bunnies and chocolate eggs. It is no wonder we find ourselves becoming numb to the days and seasons which should be transformative in our lives. We like to lay the blame at commercialism’s door but I wonder if the real culprit is not a Grinch’s heart which has grown cold with time and whose door is simply stuck closed, prohibiting us from opening our lives to the spirit of the seasons.

I love living in places where there are four seasons each year. Seasons signify change, change with a purpose, change that cannot be rushed by the calendar, change which shows in the skies, trees and temperatures. Seasons are good, they are God-ordained and perpetuate the cycle of life. Our lives should adjust to the seasons, not the other way around.

Yet that is exactly what happens as I walk through aisles of the big box stores. They attempt to dictate what I should feel and when. Well, I cannot change what department stores and mega-chains do but I can determine whether or not it will have an unhealthy effect on me.  I can make the decision to not allow others with ulterior motives to set my holiday agenda. I can choose to slow down and light the candles of Advent as my spirit dictates and to pause on Good Friday to remember the sacrifice that preceded new life and a glorious new beginning. I can keep the door of my heart well-oiled with God’s Spirit and keep my heart tender with daily doses of His Word.

I guess my goal, my heart-felt desire is to come to the end of this season and say, “Wow! What a glorious holiday that was! How wonderful it was to sing the carols, light the candles, exchange love-bought gifts and get chills every time I saw a crèche.” Holidays (holy days) should change us for the better, not make us more cynical. They should encourage pauses and contemplation, not rushing around frantically looking for one last gift.

Instead of throwing up our hands next year and saying, “Is that all there is?” what if we are so impacted and transformed by the season that our attitude was, “Go tell it on the mountain, that Jesus Christ is born!”