It's (Already) a Wonderful Life

When I first imagined coming to the tree on Christmas morning and finding delightful surprises just for me, I pictured everything from the very practical (an envelope with a tax-free check in it to pay off all my debts) to the grandiose (a paid vacation to visit landmarks around the world) to the cliché (I’d wish for more wishes!) to the ridiculous (my very own life-sized Millennium Falcon). All of this sounds great—and if you happen have any of it just lying around that you want to get rid of, I wouldn’t hurt your feelings by saying no—but it’s not very meaningful. Which means it’s not really true.

Then I watched A Christmas Story last week with my daughter, Jaden (so she could revisit it with her “grown-up eyes,” her words ❤️). As the credits rolled, we talked about how Ralphie spent the entire movie stressing and striving in hot pursuit of his greatest heart’s desire…yet all the while he overlooked the one person who would and could give it to him. Somehow, in all the chaos and tears, his dad had been listening. What Ralphie was helpless to procure on his own, the Old Man had already prepared with love.

This is an underlying theme of so many favorite holiday movies. Clark Griswold (National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation) wanted a fun, old-fashioned, family Christmas; his attempts to force it to look a certain way created unnecessary—if iconic—mishaps, because it was already happening all around him. Doris Walker (Miracle on 34^th Street) wanted to keep her daughter safe and wise to the ways that the world could hurt her; ultimately, they both discovered that wisdom is incomplete without the faith they’d been suppressing. Buddy (Elf) wanted to find his people so he would finally fit in somewhere; in the end, his quirks and innocence freed others to be their authentic selves so everyone could fit in everywhere.

Taking my cue (as ever) from the stories I love the most, I’ve decided my grown-up Christmas list for myself, my people, and everyone is:

• that we remove the filter of “ordinariness” the world casts over our days and see instead the true, grand story we’re already in the middle of living
• to know and feel and believe that we are each—just as we are—loved and pursued and immeasurably valued by our Creator (and probably lots of people and/or pets, too)
• for us each to embrace our unique and irreplaceable roles in this grand fellowship, bringing freedom and Good News to every soul in need of it—whatever that looks like for them

It doesn’t take enormously grand gestures or a miraculous encounter with a stranger or a supernatural Central Park singalong to make our stories great; the great Story is already in and around us. We don’t have to strive, connive, or even look very far, to find our heart’s desire. Our Father has already secured it for us; we just need to open the gift.

Reflect and Respond

• What's your favorite holiday movie or movie character and why?
• Can you remember a time when you or a loved one "tried too hard" for the holidays? What happened?
• Watch a new-to-you Christmas movie this week—preferably with someone you love (yes, yourself and pets DO count).