A Time for Fall, Falling, and Getting Up Again

I have not truly considered myself to be a saint or anything that comes close to that, especially in terms of my faith and the clumsy process by which I continually fall down to the same old sins that seem to trip me even though they are in the same place in my life's path. I think about falling more than usual this time of year; what is was like before Christ rescued me from the fall. I think about how He brought me out of my eternal winter of bitter sinfulness and brought new growth into my life, nurturing His seeds of hope, faith, and salvation through His season of redemption and forgiveness, ushering in a spiritual spring for my soul.
Nevertheless, it's time for fall, or autumn, again, and as I think about the winter months, one word comes into mind, "cold". Not just cold winter winds chapping my face, or cold sheets that seem to take forever to get warm when you crawl into sheets at night, but the actually coldness of man during this fridge natural season. Just like 90% of Americans, I still fall into that same winter ritual of running to the glittered, commercialized Christmas the world presents us each year starting around this time. I heard on the local radio today about "Christmas savings now, could save you a world of mark-up after Thanksgiving." Ugh! I hate (yes, I used the word "hate") to go to Wal-Mart during the Christmas season (and because of Wal-Mart's eager-beaverness) and the two months before. Never have I gone into any department store, mall, or mega-shopping center, and come out rejuvenated or elevated by the kindness and love displayed by all who are out preparing and readying themselves for the birth of Christ. Instead, I leave weak, disappointed, and befuddled. I leave rubbing the center of my forehead, trying to ease the pressure of a society who wants to celebrate some form of love, but has blatantly ran from the birth of Love Himself. Fathers curse under the breathe at the rising price of Christmas while soccer moms glare across the isles at each other in envy of the other, jealous of the holiday gifts inside the cart, that one or the other couldn't have or afford. Children whine, cry, and learn the lesson of "its more blessed to receive, who needs giving" as they watch the parents and all of society around them become self-absorbed and fake, displaying Christmas joy even though they don't have a clue what it is or what its founded in. And meanwhile, homeless people and those who aren't as privileged as us (the church here in America), go to bed hungry, thirsty, naked, and forsaken, as we flip the channel away from the those convicting television ads about all the things we could have done, instead of buying things we put into storage units two months down the road. Cold indeed are we, as we rush pass the bell-ringer, the homeless person, and the church as we head home to "celebrate" Christmas. Winter will be cold, in more ways than one; what will you do about it? What will I do about it? I am trying and even if I am alone, will do things differently this season of Christ's birth. I'll say "Merry Christmas" and I will mean it. I will mean that God gave us a reason to celebrate yes, but also a duty to serve the newborn Child of Bethlehem, Jesus Christ. You don't need the stuff of Christmas returns and hoop-la; Christmas can be warm this year, by igniting the passions and ideas of ministry inside of you and giving them as gifts instead this year. Cold? Pack a sweater and let the light of Christ burn deep within you.
Fall isn't all bad...even though it means the world will lay dormant and frigid arctic blasts will make their way through the multi-layers of clothes we wear. The snow...the snow is what its about. White, pure, perfect. The picture of what Christ is calling us to be this fall and this winter season. I know its only October, just giving you a heads-up on the forecast for a potentially wonderful holiday season.