Christmas: A Season Of Stress?  PRO

Christmas: A Season of Stress?

The picture the Bible gives us of the first Christmas is one of peace and serenity. You can see it with your mind’s eye: There are the shepherds, gathered around a campfire under a clear, starlit sky, quietly talking among themselves about their flocks, their families, their fortunes . . .

Down in the town of Bethlehem, away from the hustle and bustle of the multitude which has come for the census, a stable has become home to a newborn child, sleeping peacefully in the hay of the animals’ feed-trough, under the watchful eyes of his adoring parents. And even though the night sky would eventually be shattered by the singing of angels, even their message was one of “Peace on earth! Goodwill toward men!”

Why is it then, that our modern culture has taken this sacred season–which has always been meant to be a season of peace and joy and serenity–and turned it into a “season of stress?”

Is there any other time of year that is so stressful as Christmas? I mean, you just have to get your shopping done, and your parties planned, and your Christmas cards mailed, and your decorations up . . . . You just have to run here and go there, and do this and accomplish that . . .

Well, I’ve learned how to take the stress out of Christmas and celebrate it as the season of peace and serenity that it is meant to be. It took me years to figure out how to do this, but I’ve finally got it down to a science.

When it comes to Christmas shopping, I let Cheryl handle that–at least for the kids. Let’s face it, I’m out of touch when it comes to buying stuff for kids after they pass the age of twelve. I mean, I thought an I-pod was something that fell off the I-tree! (What...