Crazy Christmas

Has Christmas gone Crazy or what? Yes...Everything from Alabama and Auburn Santas to TV Christmas Specials that aren’t all that special brought to by folks like Toby Keith and Mariah Carey. Everything from Maxwell House Coffee to Armor All is being sold in a Christmas package. We have Christmas everything... Christmas lights, Christmas trees, Christmas sales, Christmas vacations, Christmas parties, Christmas cookies, Christmas shoes, Christmas music, Christmas movies, Christmas recitals, Christmas hams and turkeys, Christmas hats, Christmas parades, Christmas puppies, Christmas cards, Christmas recipes, Christmas carols, Christmas plays, Christmas concerts, Christmas lights, Christmas decorations...and the list goes on and on.

Christmas has gone crazy. I thought about it the other day as I was listening to what the radio announcer described as Christmas music. It made me go back and look up the Top 5 Christmas songs of 2010:
1- Twelve Days of Christmas
2- Frosty the Snowman
3- The Christmas Song
4- White Christmas
5- I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus ...But then I thought, surely this list is wrong because they’ve left out what has become a Christmas Classic, “I Want a Hippopotamus For Christmas.” Written in 1950, let me share with you some of the inspirational lyrics...“I want a hippopotamus for Christmas....Only a hippopotamus will do.... No crocodiles or rhinoceroses....I only like hippopotamuses and hippopotamuses like me too!” Wow...that's right up there with "O Come All Ye faithful" wouldn't you agree?

What can we do? Can we save Christmas from the clutches of retailers and performers and weird songs about hippopotamuses? Can we get back to a simpler time when Christmas was less commercial and more family? Get ready...cause someone will label you a grinch or a scrooge...but are you willing to take a stand?

#1 Just Say No...
“No. I am not singing that song about the hippo.” “No. I am not going to the 15th party of the month.” “No. I am not wearing that silly looking sweater.” “No. I am not going back to Wal-Mart to get dad a bag of peppermints nor am I going back to Bath and Body to get mom another quart of Sweet Pea lotion. “No. I am not getting in the car to fight this traffic at this time of the day.” No. I am not watching the Toby Keith Christmas special.” No. I am not buying our dog an Izod sweater for Christmas. Just say “No.”

#2 Bring new meaning to the word “Wii”...
As in, “Wii are staying home tonight and watching “White Christmas” with Bing Crosby.” As in, “Wii are staying at home tomorrow night and watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” with Jimmy Stewart.” As in, “Wii are going to spend less money on each other and more time with each other.” As in, “Wii are going to listen to Elvis sing Christmas songs back before he wore jumpsuits.” As in, “Wii are going to church together as a family.” As in, “Wii are going to spend Christmas Day together enjoying each other.” As in, “Wii are going to read the Christmas Story on Christmas Eve.” As in, “Wii are going to count our blessings instead of counting our gifts.”

So what will we do? Will we go crazy like Christmas? Or could we do something really crazy... Like loving each other...loving our parents and grandparents and children and grandchildren. Like giving a gift to some who doesn’t expect it or think they deserve it? Like believing God and believing He so loved the world that He sent Jesus to die for our sins. That’d be really crazy. But it’s the right thing to do.

Crazy Christmas? Yes... Be a crazy Christian loving God with a crazy love and cherishing time with family with a crazy sense of urgency. May God bless us with a really crazy Christmas. MM