Psalm 77:11-12 I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds.
So what’s the big deal about holidays?
Some people love ‘em and some hate the stress that accompanies them. Some view the time frame between Thanksgiving and January 1, as the best the year has to offer and others would just as well sleep through it. For many, the holidays stir warm memories of hearth and home, while others recall brokenness and disappointment.
No matter how we view the holidays, they’re approaching once again. And it speaks to me about the importance of tradition. Although we can over-focus on the past and get stuck in memories, I believe traditions, like those that surface with the holidays, serve as needed reminders for a forgetful people.
We do forget, you know.
When trouble surrounded the psalmist, causing him to doubt God’s compassion and question his faithfulness to Israel, he cried out to God. Although he found no hope anywhere, rather than lingering in bitterness, he made an intentional decision. He remembered God’s past works, his wonders, his mighty deeds. And he said we should make sure we tell the next generation so they don’t forget who God is (Psalm 78:5-7). Christmas gives us the opportunity to do just that.
I know many of us complain about how we’ve lost the reason for the season. But not me. I’m grateful for Christmas trees and wreaths in public places. For background music that proclaims Christ’s birth. Even if not everyone catches it, no one can ignore the reminder.
And some will embrace it.
My mom experienced her share of disappointment during the holidays. My dad left us when I was in sixth grade leaving her to work fulltime as a sales clerk. No time of year carried more stress for sales clerks than the holiday season. But somehow her love for Christmas overshadowed the pain as well as fatigue. She imparted to us the good side. And she did it by instilling in us the value of remembering. Remembering through our traditions.
I’m grateful mom passed on to me a love for Christmas traditions that I continue to celebrate. Traditions that remind me of the greatest, mightiest, most powerful deed God has ever accomplished.
So bring on the holidays!