I have to say that when Christmas decorations come out after Halloween that it gets a little much for me from a consumer’s perspective. But as a Christian, I am grateful for this over commercialization of Christmas simply because it has become such a do or die time period for retailers. So, from a positive perspective, Christmas has to be celebrated because too much of our economy depends on it! And when Christmas is celebrated, the true meaning of Christmas can’t be lost, which is to celebrate the birth of Christ.

I wanted to bring up the retail frenzy because our world has changed since I grew up as a child of the 1950’s. We didn’t have 24 hour anything. Stores were closed on Sundays, and the world ran at a different pace.

I particularly love Christmas because the majority of retail stores are closed. These sacred days are not business as usual. The world actually stops to be still.

This Christmas Eve take the time to enjoy this stillness. Take a drive and enjoy streets not filled with traffic. Notice parking lots of retail shops and malls completely void of cars.

There is truth in the most famous poem, now carol, Silent Night, written in 1816 by an Austrian priest named Joesph Mohr.

Silent night,

Holy night,

All is calm all is bright

To me, there is something magical about Christmas Eve. This magic doesn’t last but for a night.

So this Christmas Eve, be still and bathe your senses in a silent night.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulder. And he will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” – Isaiah 9:6