364 Days of Different

Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.

Psalm 145:2

Christmas day for us is like no other day of the year. Christmas is different.  Everyone wakes up without moans and groans (sometimes before the sun comes up at our house). Our minds aren't thinking of work, school or to do lists.  No one is worried about what they will look like or wear that day. Every family member is present. We all sit around anticipating the gifts we will give, and get. Here is the really weird one...EVERYONE IS NICE to each other. There is sharing too!  The whole day is like this. We eat without worry about how many calories each bite contains. I don't even mind if there are messes that don't get cleaned up.  We always sing Happy Birthday to Jesus and get this...EVERYONE SINGS! Even Justin.  We spend the whole day with the people who mean the most and there is no worry, no harsh words, no planning for the future.

Some of you may remember a musical play that I participated in many years ago under the direction of Jerry Compton, or Mr. C as I have always called him, titled 365 Days of Christmas.  It is about having Christmas every single day of the year. Celebrating Christmas on New Year's, Christmas on Valentine's, Christmas on spring break, a summer's worth of Christmases.  Every Monday...Christmas. Every Friday...Christmas.

My first thought is, "wow". Not sure I could handle that much excitement every day. My second, and less rash thought is, "wow. that's it."  This is how He lived. He was different.  He woke every morning with a heart ready to love, share, and be nice. Why don't we?  This is how it's meant to be. So many of our days should be like this.  Then, the days when the to do lists are overwhelming, the house is a wreck and NO ONE wants to share, those are the days that should be integrated with Christmas too. 

Every Advent season we hear the words Hope, Joy, Love and Peace. This is what I see on the day of Christmas each year without even leaving my house. I want to challenge 364 of your days next year to look like Christmas. Extra thankful for God's son, giving to others, without worry, close to the ones you love. Make 364 of them different, too.

Lacy Matejka