Pastor's Blog: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

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Some years ago, I came across some “alleged correspondence” between Martha Stewart, decorator extraordinaire, and the late, great Erma Bombeck, whose humorous columns always made me laugh. It was Erma who shared the exchange, so whether it actually took place or not is immaterial. Erma had a point to make with it, and I think it’s a point worth our consideration in this season of the year.

Here was Martha’s note to Erma: “Hi, Erma, this perfectly delightful note is being sent on paper I made myself to tell you what I’ve been up to. Since it snowed last night, I got up early and made a sled with old barn wood and a glue gun. I hand painted it in gold leaf, got out my loom, and made a blanket in peaches and mauves. Then to make the sled complete, I made a white horse to pull it, from DNA molecules I had just sitting around my craft room. Then it was time to start making the place mats and napkins for my 20 breakfast guests. I’m serving the old standard Stewart twelve-course breakfast, but I’ll let you in on a little secret: I didn’t have time to make the tables and chairs this morning, so I used the ones I had on hand. Before I moved the table into the dining room, however, I decided to add just a touch of the holidays. So, I repainted the room in pinks and stenciled gold stars on the ceiling. Then, while the homemade bread was rising, I took antique candle molds and made the dishes (exactly the same shade of pink) to use for breakfast. These were made from Hungarian clay, which you can get at almost any Hungarian craft store. Well, I must run. I need to finish the buttonholes on the dress I’m wearing for breakfast. I’ll get out the sled and drive this note to the post office as soon as the glue dries on the envelope I’ll be making. Hope my breakfast guests don’t stay too long. I have 40,000 cranberries to string with bay leaves before my speaking engagement at noon. Love, Martha.” 

And here was Erma’s reply: “Dear Martha, I’m writing this note on the back of an old shopping list. Pay no attention to the coffee and jelly stains. I’m 20 minutes late getting my daughter up for school, packing a lunch with one hand, and holding the phone with the other. I’m on hold with the dog pound. Seems old Ruff needs bailing out again. I burned my arm on the curling iron when I was trying to make those cute curly fries. How DO they do that? And I still can’t find the scissors to cut out some snowflakes. I tried using an old disposable razor, but trashed the tablecloth. I also tried that cranberry thing, but the frozen cranberries mushed up after I defrosted them in the microwave. Oh, and don’t use Fruity Pebbles as a substitute in the Rice Krispie snowball recipe, unless you happen to like a disgusting shade that resembles something you wouldn’t think of eating. I have to go. The smoke alarm is going off. Talk to you later. Love, Erma.”

There are several ways you could take their exchange, and all of it depends on your perspective. But that’s just the point. An “ideal” Christmas doesn’t exist, only the one you decide to make as a reflection of your hopes, dreams, traditions, and desires.  

I pray that this Christmas season will go in whatever ways enable you to live into the promise of the season, one in which you can celebrate the gift of God’s salvation that came down to us in the Bethlehem baby. Decorate, plan, bake, and gather however you please. Just remember to focus on Jesus. Then you can have yourself a Merry little Christmas – one in which your heart will be light and your troubles out of sight, even to the point that they seem miles away.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace, there will be no end” (Isaiah 9:6-7a).