‘Tis the Season

Well it’s that time of year again and with that statement I wonder what that means. If I were in the US, I would be buying presents for my family and friends, writing final papers, going to parties and church gatherings, lighting advent candles, and feeling overwhelmed by all of it. So I wonder why I put myself through that year after year and it’s sad to me how I miss the point.

When I was about 8 or 9, our church handed out these little pins that said “Jesus is the reason for the season” so that we could all wear those pins and remember why we celebrated Christmas. I didn’t really think about it much growing up and until this year I’ve not fully appreciated the message. There was even a time when I thought it was lame, but thinking about it now and reflecting on that message, I’ve come to appreciate it’s significance and truth. Christmas is about celebrating the ultimate gift. It’s about gathering with loved ones, whether family, friends, or your community, and celebrating the light of Christ that shines in us all. It’s about sharing that light and giving, not buying and consuming, but giving.

It’s actually nice being here during this time of year. I miss my family and to be honest I miss the feeling I get when driving through looking at Christmas lights, but I don’t miss is the stress and consumerism that accompanies this time of year. I haven’t watched TV since September and I have no idea what are the “must have” toys, nor have I set foot in a mall. Now don’t get me wrong, I love giving gifts and also receiving them as much as the next person, but this experience at Bossey has allowed me to step back and reflect on what is truly important.

I’m actually receiving more this year than I ever have. Most of my family is flying all the way over here to spend Christmas with me (I’m sure the location perk is nice for them as well.) I will be flying to Italy early, early on Monday morning and we will spend a few days in Rome, then head to Florence, and then depart from Zurich on Christmas day. They’ll be heading back to Dallas and I’ll be taking a train to Paris where I’ll spend a week exploring the city and working on papers. After that I’ll be heading to London to spend a week with friends. I am truly blessed and could not ask for more.

With these blessings, I think of all the people that will remain at Bossey for the holiday. They must stay because they cannot afford to travel home or abroad, or they are unable to receive a visa to enter a bordering country (France is literally within walking distance and it is impossible for some of the students here to cross the border.) I know many of them are suffering and missing their loved ones, feeling the burden of being so far away. With this I move back to the Advent pin. If Jesus is the reason for the season, how might I share the warm feelings and love I feel by the blessings of seeing my loved ones over Christmas? Anna from the UK came up with a way that we might share some of our blessings.

On Monday night Anna, Aimee, Nora, Linda, and I gathered in Nora’s tiny apartment and made Christmas cookies while stuffing stockings for the students that will be staying at Bossey over the break. It was great to be surrounded by the smell of cinnamon and baking cookies while wrapping small gifts like chap stick and tea bags into actual socks. In the end the socks were stuffed and a name was attached to each one so that the students that are staying here will have that time of opening and sharing as a small token of our Christmas wishes for them. The gifts are nothing grand, rather useful supplies mixed in with candy and a few sparklers, but we hope these small things will brighten their time here and it was a nice way for us to give a little to or Bossey brothers and sisters. We’re all in this together and anyway that we can help one another and grow makes this experience that much more worth while and important.

I hope I remember this feeling next year, the feeling of truly giving and in turn truly receiving.

Merry Christmas everyone!