Everyone has been dreaming of a white Christmas. Or at least that's what the season's favorite holiday songs would lead you to believe. And judging by the carols and tunes of the Christmas season, everyone is dreaming of a special someone, instead of a special something, underneath the Christmas tree. And we're all putting our faith in a deer with a red nose to guide you in inclement weather.
But this year northern Pennsylvania didn't get a white Christmas. Folks might have been headed here for the homemade pumpkin pie but they didn't have to head through snow on the journey. Instead of white flakes we've had a misty drizzle.
Not exactly the makings of a holiday hit single.
All December long I've been right there with my fellow carolers, wishing and hoping for a white Christmas if for no other reason than to sing, "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas" on the actual morning of the big day. But I woke up this morning with less snow than I'd seen out my window when I went to sleep the night before.
As every child expected, Santa came as promised and left a bounty of presents but must have forgotten to leave behind a dusting of snowy white. And so all of us dreamers will have to retire our song of precipitation hopes till next year. Unless we decide, instead, to retire the whole notion of the White Christmas carol along will all of our other wishing, dreaming, hoping sounds of the season.
Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas music. I'm one of Christmas music's biggest fans. And I like hoping. A lot. In fact, my whole life survives on hope. I am a dreamer, and happily so. I am a wisher who can never be disappointed too many times as to be discouraged from wishing again. But I'm not dreaming of a white Christmas one year longer. I'm not singing songs of wanting a particular "you" for Christmas or a date on New Year's Eve. I'm retiring the songs of this dreamy season because my merriment doesn't hinge on those dreams coming true.
I used to be certain that I knew what I wanted for Christmas and that it was written in a song. But, oh, how wrong I was. I don't want a white blanket of snow. I don't want a love interest named "you" or "him." I don't even want pumpkin pie. All I want is to be at home in Christ for this holiday. That is the one dream that I am resting my December and my entire life upon. My one wish is wrapped up in the hope of Heaven.
This Christmas wasn't white but I've learned that I don't need my Christmas to look like the lyrics in a song. It doesn't need to be white and it doesn't need to be romantic. The only thing I need on this Christmas is Jesus. That's it. In fact, He is all I need all year long. He is all any of us will ever need. And if I have Jesus - if you have Jesus - I promise, you won't even miss the snow on Christmas morning.
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