A Slice of Humble Pie
It was a Wednesday morning in early November. Juggling my purse, computer, lunch sack and who knows what else, I arrived at work. As I entered the lunchroom/conference room adjacent to my office, I chuckled to myself as I saw a message on the white board – MERRY CHRISTMAS! I knew immediately who the author was, remembering how very early one of my fellow therapists decorated for and started celebrating Christmas. With a fond chuckle to myself, I went about the business of getting ready for the days’ clients.
Now since I go through the aforementioned lunchroom many times a day, I began to notice messages being added to the whiteboard. Two camps clearly began to identify themselves. Let’s just call them the ‘Bah Humbug on Early Decorations Camp,’ and the ‘It’s Never too Early to Decorate Camp.’
Musing about what was appearing on our whiteboard, I began thinking about Advent. After all, isn’t that really the beginning of a Christian’s Christmas season? And therefore the right time to begin our preparation and expectant waiting for the celebration of Christ’s birth. And then I noticed it…
That Pharisaic attitude. It’s theme goes something like this. I art holier than thou, because I follow the church year. And it is fueled by pride.
Oh how I love Jesus…and how as we come to know Him more and more, we are quicker to see His heart speaking to ours. I imagine that if your heart wants to honor and celebrate Him, whether decorations are involved or not, there is no right time, other than all the time.
What I bring from this little anecdote is an awareness of how easily I can fall prey to the I art holier than thou syndrome. It is not rooted in love, it is rooted in self. These are the roots I continually want the Lord to be showing me, and helping me remove. Together we can do this!
Written By: Timi Schuessler
