“It goes by too fast.” Someone said that to me Monday. He was remarking about the Christmas season. One day we’re complaining about how shops and stores put their decorations up too early, and the next day we’re dragging this year’s tree to the curb.
The Christmas season goes by too fast. Life goes by too fast. Years ago, the late Roy Clark had a hit song with a poignant message. It was called Yesterday When I Was Young. We use the phrase all the time: “It seems like only yesterday.”
Only yesterday our children were tiny. Trying unsuccessfully to stay awake on Christmas Eve to catch the jolly old elf when he arrives. Trying, also unsuccessfully, to stay in bed the next morning before rushing to the tree to see what treasures have been placed beneath it. Turn around, and they are grown. And gone. With children of their own who need to be in their home on Christmas morning looking for treasures beneath their tree. And we would give everything we possess to have our children small again, just for one Christmas morning – to hear their laughter, to watch their eyes light up, to see their excitement as they rip into carefully wrapped boxes, and to feel the sweetness of those little arms wrap around our necks. “It goes by too fast.”
My parents loved Christmas more than any other time of the year. I inherited that from them. Fortunately, most people have inherited that same feeling from someone. I can still see that tabletop tree they had in their living room. It was silver. On the floor beside it was one of those revolving circles with various colored panes of glass in front of a bulb. As the circle turned, just for a moment the tree would magically become whatever color a particular pane was. I remember our practice of having a glass of plain, sweet eggnog at midnight. Then Dad would read the Christmas Story from Luke 2. And, we would all open one present. Those were the ones we had gotten for each other. Santa’s gifts would be delivered later in the night. Those memories wrap around me like a soft, comforting blanket in the cold of winter. My parents so dearly loved Christmas. They’re gone now. “It goes by too fast.”
For many years I was the pastor of churches. Most had Christmas Eve services. Several of those churches had multiple services every December 24, including an 11:00 p.m. worship experience. There was something spiritually invigorating about singing Silent Night with our candles held high and then walking out of the sanctuary at midnight, knowing that it was now Christmas. A few times, particularly when I served churches in the mountains, we would walk out at midnight and snow would be falling, like something from a tale by Dickens. I miss leading those services. “It goes by too fast.”
There are friends and loved ones we assumed would be around this year, but they are not. We thought we would sit with them at a dinner table, offering toasts for a new year to come, telling stories, laughing, opening gifts, and celebrating the sacred love that exists between people who are special to one another. But something unexpected occurred. And now their chair is empty. “It goes by too fast.”
I heard someone say, “Even if we live to be 100, it’s really like we’re just here for a minute. And isn’t it tragic to miss the minute?” So, if you’re reading this, then you’re still here. You got another chance at Christmas this year. You’ve been with folks who matter to you. You’ve seen the lights and heard the carols and eaten whatever cake makes you smile. You’ve been to church. You’ve witnessed the scowls of November being replaced by smiles in December. You’ve been refreshed by individuals wishing you well: “Happy holidays!” “Merry Christmas!” You’ve listened to Andy Wiliams and Pentatonix and Handel’s Messiah. You’ve held the lighted candle as people sang Silent Night. You’ve felt the magic. My friend was correct. The season goes by too fast. So, whatever is left of it, don’t miss the moment. Don’t miss any moment. Drink deeply at the fountain of this season and of life itself. Seize the relationships. Grasp the love. Celebrate the beauty and sacredness of it all. Sing. Laugh. Tell others how special they are to you while you have the chance. Make the most of now. Make the most of love. Remember – “It goes by too fast.”
Merry Christmas!