Where Are You Christmas?

“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow,
stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons.
It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags.
And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before.
What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store.
What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”

Something is missing.
For some reason this year it just doesn't seem like Christmas.

The tree is decorated.
The lights are up.
I've done my shopping.

But the feeling isn't here. The excited anticipation of Christmas you got when you were 9 and couldn't sleep the night before because you were so excited. It's like the magic is gone.

But I think I know what the problem is.

Me

I've been so caught up with me, in my life, and what I'm going to do that I've forgotten what really brings the feeling of Christmas.

I remember when I was in 8th grade.  My dad had been diagnosed with cancer that November and that year just sucked.  I mean 8th grade is hard enough as it is, trying to figure out who you are and where you fit in, and it just felt like a lot to handle.  But I remember that Christmas being the best Christmas.  My dad was going through chemotherapy and trying to work to provide for his family.  He was doing the best he could.

I remember one night my parents were gone and I was babysitting.  Someone knocked on the door and when I answered it, there was a lady and her two sons standing there with baskets full of stockings and food and gifts.  To this day I have no idea who she was.  So many people did so much for my family.  The school did the Sub for Santa for my family.  I remember my little siblings donating food to the Sub for Santa having no idea that it was to be returned to us.

I've always wanted to do something like that.  Do something for someone else that just makes them happy.  That gives them the feeling I had that Christmas.  I'm always too selfish and lazy, but I've decided that that needs to change.

So I don't know what yet.  But I'm gonna do something.  Christmas is about giving.  Heavenly Father gave his Son.  I can give my time and money.