Christmas In July

We were driving down a country road and something caught my eye.
I was in the car with all of my daughters.
Did you see that? Two of us said in unison.
I was in the passenger seat and turned almost completely around.

I did a double take.
I saw Santa and Rudolph and Frosty on a green summer lawn.
I saw a sleigh and reindeer, a snow globe, and candy cane all set up as if it was December.
I saw large inflatables that took up most of the front yard.

It was ironic because of what was taking place in the back of the house.
The family was having a cookout on their back patio.
It was winter in the front.
It was summer in the back.

Christmas in July, one of my daughters said.
So that was it.
That explained everything.
I wondered what their neighbors thought of the display?

It made me smile.
It reminded me of my favorite time of year.
However, the decorations looked out of place.
The suggestions of snow and winter did not fit with the July heat wave we are experiencing.

I feel that way every year.
I have my calendar in my mind.
Christmas decorations should not go up before Thanksgiving.
Christmas decorations should come down soon after New Year’s Day.

That is my schedule.
Madison Avenue seems to disagree.
Retail has pushed Christmas back into October.
We see Christmas ornaments next to scarecrows and pumpkins.

It’s like wearing white shoes.
As a little girl, I was never to wear white shoes before Memorial Day or after Labor Day.
When I questioned the rule, I was given the frustrating answer.
That’s just the way it is!

Who is the determiner of “the way it is?”
Is there a rule book somewhere that explains all of these expectations?
Or are they just passed down without question, allowing them to continue?
Some of them make sense; some are seemingly, “because I said so,” reasons.

There was something about seeing inflatable Christmas decorations in July that was strange.
Instead of looking festive, the decorations looked tired and worn out.
I pondered what bothered me so much.
I wouldn’t have chosen to do this but it wasn’t my house.

It was not until I got to church that it all became clear.
It was the day before the official Christmas in July day.
The worship leader reminded us that our hearts are our true instruments of praise.
We prayed and prepared our hearts for worship.

He made reference to the fact that it was Christmas in July.
My thoughts went immediately to the house with the inflatables on the lawn.
He began to lead us in the singing of a Christmas carol.
We all sang, O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.

Oh, come, oh, come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Oh, come, our Wisdom from on high,
Who ordered all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
and teach us in her ways to go.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Oh, come, oh, come, our Lord of might,
Who to your tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times gave holy law,
In cloud and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Oh, come O Rod of Jesse’s stem,
From ev’ry foe deliver them
That trust your mighty pow’r to save;
Bring them in vict’ry through the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Oh, come, O Key of David, come,
And open wide our heav’nly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Oh, come, our Dayspring from on high,
And cheer us by your drawing nigh,
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Oh, come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Oh, bid our sad divisions cease,
And be yourself our King of Peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

I sang and my throat tightened.
I could feel the tears quite close.
I realized what bothered me.
Jesus was missing from that front lawn; the house was decorated but not with Him.

Christmas in July is to be celebrated.
Christmas in each month is to be celebrated.
I thought of the words of Scrooge as Charles Dickens wrote them.
I thought of the little wooden plate I put out each Christmas that displays this quote.

I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.

Honor Christmas by honoring Christ.
Emmanuel, God with us, does not get put away in the closet with the decorations.
We were right to sing such a precious carol this morning.
We are approaching Christmas five months from now; we have time to prepare our hearts.

I thought of the state of our nation and the world at large.
I have been rehearsing the last stanza in my mind.

Oh, come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Oh, bid our sad divisions cease,
And be yourself our King of Peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Jesus is the Desire of nations, even if they fail to recognize Him.
Only Jesus can bind the hearts of all mankind in one, by binding them in Him.
Only Jesus can bid our sad divisions to cease.
Only Jesus is our King of Peace.

Only Jesus.
We have forgotten that with our feelings of self importance.
We have forgotten that as we drone on and on in our political rhetoric.
We have forgotten that as we lift up mere men to the level of God.

You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because You were slain, and with Your blood You purchased men for God. (Revelation 5:9)

Jesus alone is worthy.
Jesus alone can sit on the Throne at the right hand of His Father.
Jesus alone can bring us true peace, not peace as the world gives.
Jesus alone will unify us in Him; the only unity that matters.

We have forgotten.
Go ahead.
Sing a few Christmas carols today.
Celebrate Jesus; apart from Him we are nothing.