12/6/2018 0 Comments How the Grinch Stole Advent I love everything about Christmas-time. I love decorating, I love baking, I love sending people cards, I love giving people presents, I love parties, I love prayer time welcoming Jesus into my heart, I love devotionals about Mary. I love this time of year. But if I'm being honest, it seems borderline impossible to manage all (or even most) of those things in this season. And then when I do manage to squeeze them in I don't feel the joy I thought I might when I started them. Suddenly, baking cookies becomes about the hour of time I will spend cleaning up after I've done all the baking and frosting. Sending cards becomes a harried scribble and a cramped hand. Buying presents means trudging out in the cold, through throngs of people, to buy something that the person probably doesn't even need or really want. Parties are filled with equally busy people who would probably rather come any other time than the month of December. And don't get me started on prayer life in December. In December, my prayer life (rather than being drawn out and reflective) is rushed and weary; it's less "welcome, Lord Jesus, thank you for entering into my heart. Teach me to love you better." and more, "Lord Jesus, I am happy you're coming, truly, but I have another 50 things to do today and about ten minutes to do them. Please make a miracle happen."
The Jim Carrey version of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" is admittedly my least favorite version (I do recommend the version with Benedict Cumberbatch that just came out, however) but I appreciate Cindy Lou Who from that version of this Dr. Seuss classic. I was ten years old when this movie came out, and her doubts and questions about what Christmas is really about spoke to me at that age. There's a song she sings "Where Are You Christmas?" that I find myself singing (in my head, if not out loud) year after year as I drag myself through the month of December, trying to muster up every ounce of Christmas cheer I can. Because this season is supposed to be filled with joy, isn't it? This season is supposed to be filled with excitement and busyness, right? We don't know why the Grinch hates Christmas (perhaps his heart is too small) but I have another thought. I can't help but remember the busy-ness of the pictures in the book and the scenes in the movies. Whos are playing instruments, whos are playing with toys, there are long tables packed with food and whos, and the "Noise, Noise, NOISE!" (I remember that line quite distinctly from when I was a child.) And maybe it's my inner introvert showing, but that depiction doesn't seem entirely inaccurate when I contemplate my Advent and Christmas season. Maybe the Grinch isn't entirely wrong about the busy-ness and the loudness, maybe he's not entirely wrong about the presents and the exorbitant amounts of food. Like Cindy Lou in the Carrey adaptation of the Grinch, I can't help but wonder if we are packing our Advent season and Christmas season full of presents, and parties, and shopping, and baking, (The Noise, Noise, NOISE) and all manner of things to fill the void. To find the piece of the Advent season that will bring us the joy and genuine excitement we had in this month as children. When I think about the Grinch coming to steal Christmas and all of it's trappings, there's a tiny part of me that feels like that would be a relief. Maybe the Grinch in my story is me. So what changes? How does the Advent season go from a time that feels like pure joy when you're a child, full of excitement and anticipation, to a season that has me questioning my sanity and wondering when I'll find time to do normal things again? There's a passage in Luke (10:38-42) in which Jesus visits the home of Mary and Martha, Martha goes to the kitchen to work and prepare food, while Mary sits at Jesus' feet. This doesn't seem quite fair to Martha (and I am inclined to agree) so she asks Him to tell Mary to help her, but Jesus rebuffs Martha instead, saying "You are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed- or indeed only one." I had a priest once who gave a homily in which he told us that there were times in our lives when we would be Martha and when we would be Mary. He told us both were good things to be, both had important roles, but I'm not going to lie to you when I say that I would way rather be Mary. I want to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to him speak, I want to rest my weary head and just be in Jesus' presence. I want to choose the better part, I want to choose the only thing we have need of. I think this story, too, is a picture of Advent for me. I want to choose to sit and give myself over to Jesus, but I'm too busy with all of the preparations. I also think this is why for children, Christmas is so magical. Children aren't concerned with all of the things that make Christmas busy; they're just excited about the gifts they are going to receive. In a very real way, that's exactly what Advent is about. Advent is being excited for the gift we are receiving at Christmas, not the presents wrapped under the tree, but God Himself. Advent is looking forward to receiving the person who loves us most in this world. Now, if I were reading this post, I would probably be rolling my eyes by this point and saying, "That is all well and good, but what do you expect me to do, Michaela? Not buy my kids presents this year and tell them I'm being like Mary?" No, I do not recommend that, to be clear. What I do recommend, however, is not seeking the "Christmas spirit" in all of the things associated with Christmas (like the decorations, the cookies, presents, etc.). It's a lesson in the Grinch that makes more sense for adults than it does for children, I think. The grinch reflects that Christmas "came without ribbons, it came without tags. It came without packages, boxes, or bags," and that's the truth for us, too. Christmas can come and go and without really touching us if we are focused on the ribbons, boxes, or bags. Instead, I invite you to take a deep breath when things get to be too much. I invite you to remember that the things we are worried about (the decorations, presents, and cookies) are all good things but they are not the one thing we are in need of. Every time you start to feel frazzled and worried like Martha, I invite you to close your eyes and imagine that you get to sit at the feet of Jesus, even if it's just for a moment. Preparing our hearts for the Lord isn't like preparing for your in-laws. Preparing your heart for Jesus is knowing we have nothing we can offer Him, and letting Him in to the messiness just the same. This week, I pray that you will experience the joy of anticipation that characterises the Advent season. Peace, Michaela
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