A “Happy” Christmas

² Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. ⁴ And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1: 2-4

During the Christmas season, in the United States, we greet each other with “Merry Christmas”. In England and other parts of the English speaking world the greeting is “Happy Christmas”. Regardless of the words used, the meaning is the same – “I hope your Christmas is happy, merry and full of all the things and people that you love.”

It’s a good a greeting. Yet, there are many out there that will not have a “happy” or “merry” Christmas this season. They are struggling with happiness because they don’t have enough money to put presents under the tree, or buy the Christmas ham or turkey, or pay the rent. They are lonely because they are a long way from home attending university or serving in the military. They are hurting because they’ve recently (or not so recently) lost a loved one that will be absent from this years celebrations and festivities.

For so many, “Happy/Merry Christmas” seems like an impossibility.

Of course, for those of you who have been following our family’s journey the past 18 months, you know that this is a difficult time and season. It was a season that our daughter, Aly, loved! She was a gift giver (and receiver if I’m honest), and looked forward to the presents, the baking and the fellowship. So, there will be an absence every Christmas that we cannot fill. I thought this year, being our second Christmas without her, would be easier. It has not been. In some ways, it’s been more difficult. We’ve all cried a lot leading up to tomorrow…and I’m certain that tomorrow will be filled with it’s own tears and disappointment.

The question that I’ve been asking myself is how do we have a “happy” Christmas when our lives are wrecked? I think the answer is in the word. Maybe it’s just semantics, but I think it’s more than that. The word “happy” is from the 14th century root word “hap”. It’s where we get the words “happens” or “happenstance”. Hap means “lucky, favored by fortune, being in advantageous circumstances, prosperous;” of events, “turning out well,” (Online Etymology Dictionary; https://www.etymonline.com/word/happy)

Okay, here’s my point: our happiness is directly dependent upon our circumstances. So much of our lives are spent on the “pursuit of happiness”. We grasp it momentarily as our circumstances allow, and then it slips through our fingers, remaining just out of our reach. We’ve been trained to believe that happiness is our right and the goal of our life’s pursuits. And yet, we read passages in the Word of God like James 1, “Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials….”

How do we reconcile that and other similar passages with the goal of happiness? What do we do when our dreams become our nightmares? What do we do when our world turns to ash? How can we ever be happy again?

The problem is that “happy” should never be our pursuit. You will never find that translation in the bible. James said “Consider it all JOY….” The word “joy” originates from “rejoice”. It means to BE glad, to BE joyful. It implies that you have a choice, that you can be in charge and govern yourself. In fact, the word “consider” that James uses is from the Greek word “hegiomai”, meaning to lead or govern. There is intentionality behind the words. So, James, the brother of Jesus and the leader of the church in Jerusalem is saying “Lead, govern yourself to gladness, rejoicing, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials….”

Happiness is found when your circumstances align with your expectations. Joy is found when we lead ourselves through the pain and the disappointments of life and choose Jesus Christ. Christmas is NOT about creating a happy environment where all our expectations are realized…it’s about the King of kings making Himself like one of us and showing us the way through the valley of the shadow of death…in spite of the pain and disappointment.

Our family has not found “happiness” in this season. We have found JOY and we have found PEACE. His name is Jesus. We choose Him.

Have a JOYFUL Christmas!