My tree is finally up.

I put it up just over a day ago. That’s definitely the latest I’ve ever been in putting up a Christmas tree and it’s not even the sort that takes up a whole lot of space in the room.

Being someone who loves Christmas, Advent, Carolling (the list could go on…), it’s seems strange to me that I haven’t put my tree up this year. I think it just felt like it was all too much energy to expend when you’re already tired. Why put something up that you’re just going to have to take down again? Why bother?

And frankly, it’s a decent question to ask about a number of things that we do at Christmas time.

But I’m thankful at Christmas that despite my lack of motivation (and lack of tree) that Christmas Day will still do its Christmas Day thing.

Because Jesus did his Christmas Day thing over two-thousand years ago.

He did more than just bother to put a Christmas Tree up too: he bothered to become just like us and enter our filth, so that we could find God. He was faithful to us, despite our lack of faith. He made the effort despite our lack of enthusiasm. When it comes to Christmas Day and Jesus: he owned it.

And he still owns it; and he’ll own it no matter what decorations or lack thereof, I’ve got hanging around my place. Maybe at the end of the day all the pine and tinsel and (yes)… even the gingerbread just gets in the way of remembering who the day is all about.

I’m definitely not against decorations at Christmas Time, but if they get in the way of Jesus taking centre stage on his ‘big day’ then perhaps its best to have a rethink on a few things.

Better do so quickly, because there’s only one more sleep to go.

Yours in remembering who owns it,

Alison