Indulge a Little — It’s Christmas

A reminder to savor the season and the Giver of every good gift...

Every year as Christmas approaches, something inside me stirs — the part of me that delights in beauty, joy, sweetness, and celebration. Maybe it’s because life can be so serious the rest of the year, but during these few short weeks of the holiday season, I find myself thinking:

Go ahead and indulge a little.

Eat the chocolate.
Order dessert.
Buy the box of Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes — or two.
If your heart lights up at the sight of peppermint bark, gingerbread, or sugar cookies with too many sprinkles… enjoy it.

Why? Because Christmas already is in moderation. It only comes once a year.

The lights, the music, the flavors, the gatherings — we get these things for a brief moment before time turns the page again. I’ve lived enough seasons to know that some years overflow with abundance, and some years don’t — and both seasons are holy and wonderful in their own ways.

There have been many years when buying extra gifts wasn’t even an option. There have been years when the budget stretched a little wider, and I could give generously, joyfully, and without stifling the desire to bless others!

So, in the years when God provision is overflowing?

Buy the extra.
Pour it out.
Give the gift.
Bless someone else.
Celebrate with open hands.

All of Psalm 84 speaks to the good and overly generous God we serve and concludes with a reiteration of how blessed we are to trust in Him: 

“The Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. O, Lord of Hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!”
— Psalm 84:11-12

God is not stingy with blessings. He delights in giving good gifts to His children. 

And those gifts aren’t just the ones wrapped under the tree.
Indulge in the other gifts too — the ones that require something deeper than a debit card.

Make time to bake cookies with your kids. Craft the awkward, handmade ornament that will later make you cry when they’re grown. Put up the decorations even if the house is messy.
... Light the candle and play the Christmas carols. 

Watch the Christmas movies — all of them. Even the cheesy ones. Especially the cheesy ones.... and The... The.... The.... *GULP* THE GRINCH!!!  

Indulge in joy. 
Indulge in slowness.
Indulge in wonder.
Indulge in connection.

Because the Christmas season itself is indulgence — not in excess, but in remembrance. It is the season when Heaven indulged us with the most extravagant gift imaginable:

God with us. Emmanuel !!! 

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son. That whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life!"
— John 3:16

Christmas is the celebration of a God who held nothing back. Not His love. Not His mercy. Not His nearness. Not His only Son! If God Himself was willing to give so extravagantly, maybe we can let our hearts be open and be ready to give more, too.

Savor the moments. Enjoy the sweetness. Give generously when you can. Let this season be a reminder that joy is not frivolous — it is a gift! One that is most enjoyed when received and shared! 

Christmas, from Advent to Epiphany, is a tiny earthly echo of a far greater celebration:

The Father loves to give good gifts. And He already gave the greatest gift of all. It came wrapped in simple swaddling cloths and was laid in a manger on the very first Christmas!

Where might God be inviting you to indulge in His goodness this season — not with guilt, but with gratitude and joy?

Lord, thank You for the joy and beauty of this season.
Teach me to savor Your gifts without shame and to give generously without fear.
Help me remember that Christmas is a celebration of Your extravagant and indulgent love.
May my heart delight in You as I delight in the simple joys and overabundance of good things  You’ve placed in my life. Amen.

Until next time, keep following the Plott, and I will be praying for us all. 💛

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