Seasonal Shift

   It’s that time of year when a part of me cringes…and a part of me smiles. It’s the season when the music, store decorations, and products “shift”…and Toy Land opens!
   Yes, it’s pre-Christmas season…earlier every year…and for the wrong reason. Underlying it all is a narrow focus -- financial profits for stores and corporations.
   There is another “shift” that takes place this time of year. It’s what takes place in relationships. It’s time to buy that extra special gift that will say “I love you” (at least that is what the ads imply).
   Here we face a challenge -- relationships can get commercialized. Though certainly not always intended there is a subtle message here: ”I can buy your love.”
   So let’s go radical…at least from a cultural perspective. Let’s let God give us direction tied to what He did with His “first Christmas Present.” What was precious was “small”…with unremarkable “wrapping paper.” It was a humble “gift” that still spoke volumes about love. The package was a baby “in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:12b).
   As husbands and wives, l offer a suggestion -- make this a “Bethlehem” Christmas. Consider a shopping “shifting” to a ne ...