Christmas all year LONG!

One of my favorites stories in general is A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Other than being a fun read, it has so many life lessons throughout the book. For example, Scrooge’s nephew, Fred, is one of my favorite characters. He knows the true meaning of Christmas and wants to share it with others. He has Christmas Spirit through and through and will not let anyone dampen his joy!

This year my mom gave me a book called 52 Little Lessons from A Christmas Carol by Bob Welch. One of the little lessons is “Don’t let people steal your joy”. There were two specific paragraphs that really stood out to me.

“We live in a world that has the potential to suck the joy right out of us. Like Scrooge, it can be a world that mocks us, demeans us, and tugs at us to drop a sunny disposition and to become morbid and cynical like so many others. But we could do well to, like Fred, stay steadfast in our passion to ‘not be overcome by evil, but over come evil with good’ (Romans 12:21).” p.17

“The world is full of Scrooge-like people who want us to join them in their mystery. Our job is not to join them, but to love them. Respect them. Encourage them to climb out of whatever dark home they’ve found comfort in.” p.18

In a year that has been full of loss, and people and events that have tried to steal our joy, we have a hope that is sure, consistent, and that keeps its promise. Though the Christmas season is specifically celebrating the coming of this gift, Jesus, we are called to celebrate all year long! We are called to overcome evil with good, to be a Fred to those who are Scrooges, and to spread the good news to all men!

Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

May Jesus be the reason why we celebrate Christmas all year long and seek to love those around us (even when they might be acting like a Scrooge).