The Christmas Rush is over. That’s not true in our “brick and mortar” store, but in our online store the onslaught has subsided and we’re starting to breathe a sigh of relief. Oh, there have been mistakes made, packages misdirected, and defective products discovered. It hasn’t all been fun or stress free, but we’ve survived another Christmas season in the accompaniment track business. The requests for “O Holy Night” and “Mary Did You Know?” have given way to the more mundane, familiar titles, which run the spectrum of music genres, from Gospel to Contemporary Christian to Traditional. I am starting to breathe easier, believing that we’ve done a respectable job of satisfying customers, but something is still keeping me on edge, there’s still a niggling fear running around in my brain.

Why should that be? How is it that I’m still anxious? The truth is that this is the week that the procrastinators come out of hiding. There are still Christmas Eve programs at which to perform. The day after Christmas, there will still be soloists who are expected to sing at Sunday worship services. And, they’ve all realized that there are only two shipping days left to order their product. That’s still plenty of time to make it someone else’s fault if they don’t have a track to sing with. They can still call the toll-free phone number to somewhere far away and give this problem to some voice on the telephone. I’ve cringed every time line number 2 has rung in the last couple of days, knowing that the chances are good I’m going to have to explain the high cost of overnight shipping, or explain why UPS doesn’t honor their transit-time guarantees the week before Christmas. And, I’ll still have to figure out a way to get the product to them in time!

Do I sound bitter? Am I looking for sympathy? Actually, I was thinking I would just vent a bit, but as the lines are being written, I realize that I’m describing myself (as the procrastinator, not the unfortunate salesperson), which may explain why I dislike these people who put things off until the last minute. They’re so much like me! We live in a virtual world where we expect instant gratification, therefore, it is acceptable to wait until the week before the holiday to make your holiday purchases. There should be no reason for disappointment. Obviously, this doesn’t take into account the physical realities of the tangible world in which we live. Greatly increased quantities of items which need processing result in slowdowns and greatly increased quantities of errors. Fewer days in the process take away the possibility of redemption, of making right any errors and delays. As a professional procrastinator, I understand this, having been under the gun with a project, only to make a critical mistake right before a deadline, insuring the failure of timely completion of the task. Somehow, when I give the job to someone else, I forget that aspect, knowing only that it is now someone else’s problem. And, I expect perfection from those I pay to cover my deficiency.

I love the sign that used to hang in the repair shop of our instrument technician. It read, “Failure to plan ahead on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine!” Even though I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiments of that sign, I feel a kindred spirit with my customers who call and beg for me to insure that they won’t be left high and dry. I do everything humanly possible to make them happy, simply because I know that I will be depending on someone else in the next day or two to do the same for me. I don’t believe in “Karma”, but I keep hoping that if I do my best to help, someone else will do their best to help me. Most of the time, it doesn’t work that way. Frazzled and worn out from bending over backwards for my customers, I make my requests of my potential benefactors, only to find that they have the same sign over their desk as the repair technician.

If you’re a procrastinator, you’ve read this with understanding, nodding your head in sympathy. You know that this is our week. These final days before Christmas are the ones we wait for all year long, the ones in which we either are deliriously happy that we got that last minute gift, or are casting about desperately for the appropriate words to explain the tardiness of the present that won’t arrive in time for the day. If any of you find yourself in the situation, may I suggest that you face the facts, accept the responsibility, and enjoy the season anyway! True, there’s a lesson to be learned, but there’ll be time for that later. As you’ve read here before, the spirit of Christmas is love and redemption. This week, there are people to enjoy and a Savior to contemplate.

Oh, and a last minute trip to Target or Walmart may just set the other things right anyway. There’s always hope! And, just a hint…probably, wrapping a brick with a picture of the item taped to it isn’t the best way out of your quandary. At least, it wasn’t the last time I tried it…

“Christmas gift suggestions:
To your enemy, forgiveness.
To an opponent, tolerance.
To a friend, your heart.
To a customer, service.
To all, charity.
To every child, a good example.
To yourself, respect.”

(Oren Arnold, American writer 1900-1980)

Tonight, I read once again the old Christmas classic short story, “The Gift of the Magi”. Written by O. Henry, who was ironically a convicted embezzler and an alcoholic, it remains, in my mind at least, one of the best stories of true love that I have read. Every year around this time, the cynics come out, clamoring of the foolishness rather than the wisdom of the two protagonists. In spite of the misanthropy of these detractors, I find amazing hope in the story, choosing to believe that it is a better thing to give up something we love for someone we love, in spite of the chance that the result will be other than we would wish.

I grew up receiving an annual gift from my father, one that I was never happy to receive. You see, we didn’t celebrate Christmas at our house. Oh, my parents were Christians, but my dad had spent hours of research and had determined that because of the pagan roots of the original holiday celebrated at this time of year, and the fact that a number of the practices had been “borrowed” by the church as it replaced the pagan celebrations, he and his family would not be celebrating Christmas. To a young child growing up, it was not a happy situation. Since we attended a church which celebrated the day, we were surrounded by friends who expected us to enjoy the season. I guarantee you, we did not! Other children received presents galore. We didn’t. Other families spent the holiday with family. We didn’t. Other people enjoyed Christmas caroling and times of fellowship afterward. We didn’t.

I’m not seeking sympathy, because the gift from my father was irreplaceable and given in love. To this day, I treasure and value it. His gift to his family was the courage to stand for his convictions. No matter how unpopular they were, he stood on those principles in which he had confidence. And they were unpopular. He was accused of not being a Christian by some, and outcast (at least for the month of December) by others. It was pretty unpopular from our point of view also, since we had to face the kids at school, either with explanations or lies. I’m ashamed to say that many times, my choice was the latter. It was easier for me to reply, “Oh, I just got clothes,” to the inevitable question of what I received for Christmas, than it was to explain why I didn’t get any presents from my family. But as I have matured, my admiration for the stance my father took, regardless of whether you view it as wrong or right, has grown immensely. He believed what he said and was willing to pay the price for it.

As an adult, I have not retained the viewpoint my father had regarding Christmas. While it’s a much larger conversation than I want to have here, let’s just say that I see many areas in life wherein we have utilized the tools available to us to do God’s work, in this case, a time of celebration in which we have the opportunity to spread the good news of God’s love. But the lesson of standing firm for what you believe is not lost on me, and my stubbornness nearly matches my father’s in a number of areas. If you don’t believe me, ask my children, or the other men who are Elders in my church.

What sort of gifts are you giving your children? It’s a sure bet that the lion’s share of the toys you buy will be forgotten long before they reach majority. They’ll have dim memories of the expensive decorations and elaborate feasts. But, they will always remember the things that matter to you, the principles you are willing to stand for in your life. As you wrap all those presents this week, take some time to think of the gifts you are giving which will last for a lifetime. Make sure they’re the things you want to be remembered for.

The O.Henry story is a great romantic tale which brings tears to the eyes and a short-term rush of sentimentalism, leading unfortunately to no real, lasting transformation. The stories of who we really are and what we really believe in, on the other hand…Those are the stories that can shape lives for eternity.

Make sure your gift is a wise one…the true gift of the magi.

“The greatest gift is a portion of thyself.”
(Ralph Waldo Emerson)

“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
(Joshua 24:15)

He's Taken Leave

Random wanderings with Paul Phillips

Christmas

Failure to Plan!

“Christmas gift suggestions:
To your enemy, forgiveness.
To an opponent, tolerance.
To a friend, your heart.
To a customer, service.
To all, charity.
To every child, a good example.
To yourself, respect.”

(Oren Arnold, American writer 1900-1980)

Not Just Another Wise Guy

“Christmas gift suggestions:To your enemy, forgiveness.To an opponent, tolerance.To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect.”

(Oren Arnold, American writer 1900-1980)

“Christmas gift suggestions:
To your enemy, forgiveness.
To an opponent, tolerance.
To a friend, your heart.
To a customer, service.
To all, charity.
To every child, a good example.
To yourself, respect.”