Christmas Eve!

A couple days ago a truck drove by with huge speakers blaring, "Feliz Navidad," the star lanterns are hung around town and outside of homes, and Santa has already made a couple of appearances. Its officially Christmas in India. However, it doesn't feel like Christmas on any level to me. I'm sitting at the computer in shorts and a t'shirt with the doors open and the fan going, but I'm still sweating. There's no decorated tree in the living room. I won't be eating "traditional" Christmas dishes. And I won't be with my family. To me it just feels like a random Indian holiday that I'm observing without having any personal association to it.

Oh, wait. There is that part about Jesus. He's still very much in India even if the other elements of my typical Christmas are gone. Interesting that Christmas is ultimately about Him, but when you take away the other parts, it doesn't feel like Christmas.

We have an old home video of me and some of my relatives when we were children around Christmas-time. We're all going around the table saying what we're thankful for that Christmas. Every sibling and cousin says "Jesus" in some form or fashion. The camera gets to me and I say in my high-pitched Mississippi accent, "Presents."

I knew Christmas was about Jesus, but I was the only child in the group to admit what every other kid was thinking. The packages under the tree are a really fun part! I think I'm still that kid. What makes Christmas so fun and exciting is family and decorations and food and parties and gifts. And I bet Jesus is o.k. with that. He wants us to celebrate and enjoy this season. The Old Testament feasts and celebrations were all centered around God, but typically had an element of being a party.

What I love about this particular Christmas is the fact that I don't have cold weather, lights hung around a tree, or my family. It really has caused me to focus on Jesus, as well as gives me an opportunity to see how another culture celebrates His birth. So whether Santa fills a stocking for me tonight or not, Christmas will go on. And I'll celebrate it in a way where I'm more sincerely focused on Jesus than I have ever been on this holiday. Of course, I really do hope Santa comes to help me celebrate. :)