I grew up hearing the story of Mr. Scrooge as often as I heard the story of the birth of the Christ child. My grandmother directed a community theater in Madison, WI, and every year she put on her own dramatic adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.
By the time I was born, her production had become a holiday tradition for many Madisonians. Many of the local actors who were involved kept the same characters season after season.
There was a joke that for over 10 years, the man playing Scrooge held the part, but each Tiny Tim had to be different because he (or she, there were 1 or 2 girls who played the role) was simply too old to do so by the next Christmas.
My parents actually met and fell in love over the course of two of my grandmother’s productions. The spirit of Christmas was instilled in me from the very beginning of my life, and as Scrooge vows at the end of the play,
“I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year.”
Christmas and the season leading up to it has always been my favorite time of the year. I love the music, the stories, the Christmas specials and movies, the decorations, the lights, the traditions, everything (except the fruitcake)! I reached the point where I did wait every year just for Christmas, “the most wonderful time of the year.”
However, 2020 is different. Yes, the world is caught in an epic pandemic, but that is not the reason why my attitude has changed. In the past, I would start my preparations in September, when autumn began and the leaves would turn color. When I walked outside I could smell the change in the air. I would watch all the holiday specials, especially enjoying the ones featuring Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang.
But this year, I gave up. I barely got my personal Christmas lights in my room up by December 1st, and that’s usually my favorite tradition. I have not watched one Christmas movie, while normally I would make an entire schedule in advance to be sure I watched every single one leading up to Christmas.
It was somewhat alarming to realize I had been forgetting Christmas! What was wrong with me? Why did I no longer feel the urge to uphold all the Christmas traditions I had established throughout my life? I created these traditions to guarantee a perfect Christmas, but I did not want to do anything festive this season. Had I become like Mr. Scrooge?
In truth, all my traditions and all the steps I would take to convince myself I would not miss any of the magic associated with this time of year are simply too exhausting for me now. At first, the idea that I didn’t care enough about Christmas made me sad, as though I had lost a crucial part of my life, but then the Holy Spirit entered into my thoughts. Maybe, this year reveals a new piece of my life and the Lord is asking me to surrender my control and give it back to Jesus.
If we took away all the Christmas specials, lights, trees, carols, presents, and even Santa, there would still be Christmas. By the grace of God, I realized that I do not need any of the traditions I grew up with to celebrate the feast of Christmas. All I need (and all anyone needs) is Jesus Christ, the hope of the world and the reason for the season.
I may have become a “Ms.” Scrooge by choosing not to partake in all the typical Christmas events as in the past, but I will not let my heart grow rotten. Instead, I am beginning a new tradition this year; I will focus my heart on Jesus and only on Him.
I am renewing my trust in His promise to always love us and to take care of us. If I truly believe in God’s love, I do not have to worry about missing the Christmas spirit at all. Jesus, my Savior, will make this the best Christmas ever.
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Originally published at Kitty in the City.
Photo: Debby Hudson, Unsplash / PD-US
2 thoughts on “Just Call Me Ms. Scrooge”
Focusing intently on Christ our Lord is the very best way to “keep the season”. That said, my wife and I are doing a bit more than we usually do decoration wise, which isn’t saying much. Some years past we’ve done virtually nothing. Not sure why this year is a little different. Maybe it just seems like an easy way to spread a bit of joy in a world that needs it.
It never ceases to amaze me that a liturgical feast day (maybe the second most important after Easter) has become almost obliterated by the most materialistic consumerism. All retail establishments begin promoting it immediately after Halloween. Parents are always moaning about not getting their Christmas shopping done. The emphasis on gift-giving takes away the true meaning of the best Christmas gift of all–our Lord Jesus Christ coming to dwell with us as a human baby! The gift He gave us was salvation, and without that, there would be no reason to celebrate whatsoever. So I believe your focus this Christmas season is exactly where it ought to be and that your celebration of this feast will be more truly blessed.