‘Tis the Season

The theme for a meeting I attended recently was ‘Tis the Season.

Those words come from  Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly, a Christmas carol written in 1881. However, the phrase ‘Tis the Season didn’t begin appearing in magazines and newspapers until the 1970s.  Now, that phrase is used throughout the year, as in ‘Tis the season for spring cleaning. Or ‘Tis the season for flu and strep throat.”     

Thankfully, ‘Tis the Season is most often used to draw attention to the Christmas season. By filling in the blank following ‘Tis the season______, we can mention whichever aspects we enjoy. For example, ‘Tis the season for giving. ‘Tis the season for decorating. ‘Tis the season for enjoying Christmas lights and music.

But amid all the things we enjoy about the Christmas Season (or the Holiday Season, as many prefer to call it), have we lost sight of the real reason for the Christmas season? Have we gotten so busy with all the shopping and the decorating and the baking and the partying and the singing and such that we have forgotten that Christmas is the time set aside to celebrate the birth of Jesus? Are we so busy that we forget to think of Him, much less talk with others about Him?

A friend of mine has not forgotten Jesus. When she and I talked recently, she told me how thrilled she is to have purchased a manger scene to display inside her home. Why? She knows that when her four-year-old granddaughter visits, the child will ask about the odd-looking components. Then, my friend will tell her granddaughter as much as her young mind can absorb. 

My friend seeks ways to tell her granddaughter (and others) about Jesus. She wants to make sure the child knows about the gift of God’s Son. Therefore, she talks about Jesus in hope that one future day her beloved granddaughter will choose to receive Jesus and invite Him to be her Lord, as well as Savior.

May this current season be the season you and I also love the Lord Jesus and look for opportunities to tell others about Him. Moreover, may we realize that every season is the perfect season to do that. No matter what month it is, may we understand that the present time—whatever the season—is a wonderful time to say, “‘Tis the season to experience awe and joy, to give generously, to praise God for all that He is, and to thank Him for all His amazing gifts, especially the gift of His Son.”

Proclaim the Glory of God!

1 The heavens proclaim the glory of God.

The skies display his craftsmanship.

2 Day after day they continue to speak;

night after night they make him known.

3 They speak without a sound or word;

their voice is never heard.

4 Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,

and their words to all the world.

God has made a home in the heavens for the sun.

5 It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding.

It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race.

6 The sun rises at one end of the heavens

and follows its course to the other end.

Nothing can hide from its heat.

(Psalm 19:1-6, NLT).

After I'd read those words and reflected on them, I said to God, "May all that You've enabled me to be proclaim Your glory. May I, like the rest of Your creation, display Your workmanship. May all that I am continue to testify of You day after day and night after night. May I make You known throughout my sphere of influence.

May I, like the sun You created, "burst forth" (eagerly begin) and successfully complete the course You set for me each day. May I, like a well-trained athlete, be ready to run the race You have marked out for me...."

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Word of the Day

The agenda for each meeting of the local chapter of Toastmasters International includes time for the Word of the Day (WOD). At the appointed time, a member (who has volunteered a couple of weeks or so in advance) displays the WOD he/she has written in large letters on a sheet of letter-size paper, pronounces the word, defines it, uses it in a sentence, and reminds those who speak during the remainder of the meeting to try to include the WOD in their verbal responses and presentations.

I thought about this one recent morning as I read several chapters in the Bible. As always, I came across many verses that stood out from among the others, but I wondered, Which of these will I choose for the Word of the Day? Which one will I try to memorize and then include in my communications with others?

That day, I chose Psalm 89:1, King James Version:

I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever:

with my mouth will I make known

thy faithfulness to all generations.

Since for many years I’ve known a song that includes those words, it was easy for me to say/sing these words many times that day. And…as I spoke with people throughout the day, the Lord gave me opportunities to easily mention the mercies of God and to express heartfelt thanks for His faithfulness—without sounding sermonic.

I’m eager to see what tomorrow’s Word of the Day will be and how God will allow me to see it, say it, and share it!