When it was my turn, I had to admit that for many years here in the Philippines, the Christmas season has been very stressful and discouraging. It hasn't been so much because I missed my extended family, but that was part of it. There is a lot of commotion here at Christmas time. Actually, Christmas shopping starts in September. The stores and malls are very crowded. Music is played very loud. Traffic gets worse. We have to be doubly vigilent against purse snatchers and other forms of theft. Hands are put out in front of us looking for a few pesos frequently while a song is sung or "Merry Christmas" is offered. Envelops are given to us from many local officials, utility companies, garbage collectors and beggars to make it convenient to give our Christmas gift to them.
Added on top of that, my husband has been extra busy in the month of December. He would be involved in as many Christmas parties for street children as he could. By the time Christmas Eve arrived, he was needing time and space to recuperate. I would spend December making all preparations for whatever our family was going to do. I purchased all the gifts, decorated the house, shopped for and cooked the food, then put it all away after. I found it difficult to view the season as something special. Added on top of that, I was always mad at myself that I couldn't appreciate how unselfish Jeff had been in helping to create a lovely Christmas party for children who will have no other gifts, special food or love showered on them.
Well, eventually I learned to just enjoy the Lord. Make Him the center of all I do. Let go of any traditions that were stressing me out that I was trying to maintain. So, no more oyster stew (I was the only one who liked it anyway). In 2003, it was our first Christmas in the Philippines without our kids. I decided not to put up the Christmas tree so we had very few decorations. After Christmas Jeff told me he missed the tree and asked if we could put it up the next year. I was surprised. I didn't realize how much he enjoyed it.
The next Christmas, 2004, came right after 4 typhoons had hit the east side of the country causing massive mudslides. We had been on furlough for a couple months and came back here to learn that we needed to start disaster relief right away. Not only that, but we needed to have our apartment painted and some repairs made. So those activities were added to the parties for street kids. Our son was in California and our daughter was in Kuwait, waiting to be sent up to Iraq for her deployment. So neither of them could join us. Needless to say, I didn't put up the tree then either. In 2005 we were planning to go to the US for a few months to help Micah following her deployment so we didn't decorate again.
Finally this year, I put up our tree again. Jeff has really appreciated it. I have learned to make Christmas about the Lord and others and not about me. That makes a big difference. Ironically, the more I try to create a nice little romantic environment for myself, the less content and appreciative I am. To the degree that I can let go of my own self-centeredness, is the degree to which I thoroughly enjoy the season. It all comes back to Jesus and what He is all about. I appreciate that the Lord Jesus Christ gave so sacrifically to save us. I want to live my life to please Him and not to please myself. Oh, how I love Jesus!
- Luke 2:14 "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."
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