10 Goodbyes to a Blue Christmas

“I’ll have a blue Christmas without you…” Elvis has long since left the building, but his Blue Christmas song can still be heard on the radio today.  And for many people, this is more than a song; it is a reality.  The rate of depression and suicide increases this time of year.

As people long for Hallmark-like Christmas gatherings that end up looking more like a Jerry Springer show, you can hear them sing, “I’ll have a blue Christmas…”

As the season magnifies the loss of a loved one, people sing, “I’ll have a blue Christmas…”

As one struggles to make ends meet all year, the holidays make the financial burden seem even more burdensome and people sing, “I’ll have a blue Christmas…”

As the days become gray and cold in Northeast Ohio, people like me who struggle with seasonal depression, sing, and “I’ll have a blue Christmas…” 

The point is there are plenty of reasons for any of us to find this time of year to join Elvis in his song of lament.  However, the question I have for my fellow blue Christmas brothers and sisters is what if we could trade our blue Christmas for a more joyful one?  Would we if we could? 

Now, I suppose there are some who would say, “I prefer to just be blue, thank you very much” and most certainly that is a choice that any of us have a right to make.  I will not in any way try to violate your will. On the other hand, for those who might be interested in singing a different song this Christmas, I invite you to take a little walk with me because I need this as much as anyone.  So, here are ten thoughts to consider for walking away from a blue Christmas.

10) Sing!  Even if you cannot sing, sing!  This time of year, Christmas music is everywhere.  Join in with the music; especially the music that reminds us what this season is about—Jesus coming!  The Bible says, “God inhabits the praises of his people.”  I have learned that the more blue I feel, the more praise has a place in my life because that is where God lives.  I wonder if this is one of the reasons why I keep hearing from people how meaningful the all-church Christmas caroling to shut-ins was?

9) Be with others!  Don’t sit in the house waiting for others to find you, go and find others!  The Bible teaches over and over again that God made us for companionship.  “It is not good for a man to be alone” (and that does not only apply to marriage.  God shows us through establishing his Church that he has made us for authentic community).  This is why we make such a big deal out of Sunday School and Connection Groups.  We expect every person (this, frankly, is each person’s own responsibility) to find a group because God made you to be connected because that is how he brings transformation in our lives.

8) Be a kid again in anticipation!  Advent is all about anticipation.  My kids can hardly wait for Christmas morning, but God wants them to grow up into real anticipation of his coming.  How can you help you and yours anticipate being in God’s presence every day and his return some day?

7) See the needs of others!  Remember the time in John 4 when it says Jesus was tired and hungry.  He sat down by a well and began to doze off.  Then he met a woman who was full of all kind of hurt, sin and brokenness.  By the time his conversation had ended he was wide awake and energized.  The disciples came back with food, saw him and thought he had already eaten.  But Jesus said, “I have food you know nothing about!”  In other words, when you see the need of others and get to be a part of God caring for those needs, the blues are not permitted to stay and you get filled up.  It reminds me of Tim and Donna Krabill’s video from Sunday.  As they shared about the needs of the children at Sahara Apartments how could you not see the joy in their faces as they shared about the opportunity God has opened for them and us to truly care?!

6) Be quiet!  In this season of hustle and bustle, it is Ok to say, “No thanks.”  Sometimes the reason we have the blues this time of year is because we overcommit.  The stress of running here and there can get to the best of us.  May be the most spiritual thing you can do during this season is say no to one or two events so you can just “Be still and know that I am God.”

5) Laugh!  “A cheerful heart is good medicine.”  I try to find a reason just to tilt my head back, clap my hand and laugh every day.  It really does do the body good.  Ought we to be the people of the world who laugh the most?  Hell thought it had won the day, but then God pulled a fast one and sent his son to overcome now and forever!

4) Exercise!  God did not give us life to sit on a couch.  Look at Adam and Eve.  They were in paradise, but they were caring for the earth.  They did not lay in hammocks sipping lemonade.  They were up tending the earth by day and walking with God at dusk.  Don’t devalue the spiritual aspect of exercise.  No matter what our age or condition, we can all find some way to move this body God has given to treat it like the temple he says it is.

3) Money matters!  Money is a spiritual matter all year long.  It is tempting at Christmas to throw out the window what God says about money. Our culture tells us to live outside our means, borrow money for wants, keep up with the Jones’ and justify materialism in the name of Jesus.  The reason Jesus talks about money second only to love is because he knows that how we treat our money will either put us in his hands or under someone else’s.  I just want to say thank you to those who live by biblical principles through not only tithes and offerings, but for the way you have sacrificially fulfilled your pledge to make us a church that gives money away to meet needs around the world and right here in Canton through Faith Promise Plus.

2) Ask not what you can get out of Christmas, but what you can give for Christ!  Sin teaches us to make everything about me, me, me.  Our culture says we have to look out for number 1.  But the truth is the more we focus on “I”, the more susceptible we are to being blue.  I have been amazed this Christmas season to watch our church family turn from self to loving God and others!  Boots and coats for Belle Stone, time and energy for Nextgen basketball, food for Thanksgiving baskets, cards of encouragement, money to help those you know who are in need in our church family and in your neighborhood, time given to show people God cares, cards made by children for the elderly and cookies made by the elderly for our children…the list of examples could go on and on!  The truth is, we should have a blue Christmas if we don’t make Christmas about someone besides me and mine.

1) Point people to Jesus!  Yesterday, our Keenager group did their monthly Nursing Home service and at the end one man said, “I want to commit my life to Jesus!”  Praise God!  Did you know that so far in 2004, 65 people have made decisions to follow Christ!   Every day and all year long, God is putting people in our life so that we might experience the joy of pointing them to Jesus. 

So, next time you hear Elvis sing about his blue Christmas, why not turn it off and say, “God thank you for giving me more than enough reasons for me to have something more in and through and for you!”  Come to think of it that is why Jesus came…Jesus moved into the neighborhood to show us how to truly live in our neighborhood (John 1:14, The Message).