Will B.

“Reason for the season,” is a catchy and trendy phrase but what does it actually mean? The most obvious meaning is, it is the day our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was born. But I think it goes way beyond the obvious. I always think the trendy saying is about an attitude of generosity, good cheer, thankfulness and giving to others during the favorite holiday of so many.

Why do we mostly have this attitude only during Christmas? Shouldn’t we as followers of Christ be seeking this out year-round? I speak in general, of course; I am sure there are some or many who practice generosity, thankfulness and giving year-round but I just don’t see it daily for the most part unless it is around those few holiday months – November, December and April.

I am as guilty as the next for falling into the rut of the daily grind. Oh sure, I still practice these traits for the most part but less frequently than around the aforementioned months. Once we get through the holidays it’s easy to forget what life is really about until the next vacation or holiday. Life is not supposed to be about us, it’s about others.

What I mean by that is Jesus wants us to love one another and how do we show our love to others? The same way we show love to family or friends. We show our love in many ways: saying ‘I love you,’ maybe a hug, a shoulder to lean on, cooking a meal, helping when help is needed, being kind when we don’t feel like being kind.

We take care of those we love when they are not feeling well and the list goes on. These are things we do for beloved others are what we must do for strangers and acquaintances as well because Jesus commands it.

The “us” part of what I meant is “ourselves” and oftentimes we humans can be selfish when it comes to putting “us” first. For me the joy in Christmas has always been about giving to someone else to see the happiness something brings. This is true in all aspects of life. The joy in something is in the giving to someone else. It could be a smile, a hug, an act of kindness, a helping hand or any number of things. If you think back in your memories, I am sure there are times each of us has enjoyed doing something for ourselves but I bet if you think about a time when you helped someone else or gave to someone else it was a sweeter memory.

This is Will B saying, the meaning of life is to serve someone else and it’s where we will find the most happiness as well. Merry Christmas, friends.