The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

For those of you muttering 'But Christmas is over', may your brains explode! CHRISTMAS WILL NEVER DIEEEE!!!!

And in any case, December's not over yet. So, here we go with another song study; a pretty obvious one. Sorry, not messing with a perfect title because, yes! From the day after Thanksgiving to the day after New Year's, it IS the most wonderful out of the 365 days in a year. The lyrics capture all the images that come to mind when one thinks about Christmas...

With those holiday greetings and gay happy meetings...

With the kids jingle belling...

And caroling out in the snow...

Scary ghost stories... (HOW does that figure into Christmas outside of A Christmas Carol!?)

And tales of Christmases long, long, agggoooo...

Even those who have spent much of the season stressed, scared, mad or sad, there's no denying that the Christmas season drapes those feelings in a warm and white fuzz of comfort. I can say that because I've lived it. As much as I love Christmas, I've entered the season with little to no hope, faltering trust in God, and questioning my use as a human being.

Some call that depression, others an attack by Satan. Whatever the label, it's a valley. Same as any other that people fight through every day, month, year.

But there's a reason that this song acknowledges Christmas as the most wonderful time of the year. It's the fact that its light shines out to where you can't deny its glow, no matter how down you're feeling. When God spreads His light of hope and love at Christmastime, He makes sure that it finds you. Every time, everywhere, to pick you up and give you the strength to keep going.

And crossing through the crisp November leaves into the frosty December snow, He shines the brightest light of all. Because Christmas was the beginning of the end of our eternal separation from Him. Just like in the song, 'when loved ones are near', God was ready to welcome us beside Him with the birth, the life, and the death and resurrection of His son!

Yes, it's the most wonderful time of the year!