Two Upcoming Holidays that Baffle Me

By Donna Faughn       We are in the hap-hap-happiest time of the year, or so they say. Some of the people I’ve seen lately don’t appear to have gotten the memo.     I’m a huge fan of Thanksgiving because families gather and spend time together and just enjoy good food and one another’s company, but Thanksgiving is not one of the holidays I’m writing about.     The two holidays that baffle me are Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas with our family. We exchange gifts, eat too much, sing, and play games together. That isn’t the topic for this post.     What baffles me is that, all over the place, mention is being made that “Jesus is the reason for the season.” While I don’t believe that Jesus was born in December (and history proves this to be true), I am forever grateful that He was born, lived a perfect life, and was willing to sacrifice His life for all of mankind. What baffles me is that people who don’t follow His teachings or worship Him any other time of the year are comfortable saying, “Jesus, is the reason for the season.” Do they really know who He is and what He stands for? Are they aware that He sacrificed His life for them? Do they even think about Him the other 364 days of the year?     I’m also baffled by the fact that one week later many of them will attend parties celebrating the New Year. Many of those parties will involve dressing immodestly, dancing, and drinking alcohol until you can’t even remember what you did the night before – or the week before when you were celebrating the birth of Jesus.     I don’t mean to be negative about the holidays, but I pray for all people to think about their words and their actions all year long. Think about Jesus every day of your life, because without Him your life is without hope.     Jesus is the reason for every day of my life. Won’t you consider honoring and following Him in your life?

- Donna Faughn is the wife and mother of preachers and is a frequent speaker at women’s events. She is a member of the Central Church of Christ in Paducah KY.  She may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.centralchurchofchrist.org