First, I am so happy/grateful to Brooke and the rest of our
Cru Staff ladies for allowing me to write a Christmas post for them. I love
Cru, Christmas, and blogging, so this seems like a perfect fit, right?
If I could sum up one of the main things I’ve learned this
semester, it would be the importance of being present. These past several weeks
have been difficult for me and many of my junior friends (no one told me THIS
was when college would get hard!). Through all the emotional ups and downs,
Jesus has reinforced how vital community is to the Christian life.
So, how does being present relate to Christmas?
[other than the semi-obvious word pun I hope you noticed]
In the month of December, it’s so easy to get caught up in
the commercialism of sales and buying gifts, the rush of seeing the lighted
drive-throughs in EACH city of Hampton Roads, and many other Christmas-y
things. But, while those things are great, I want to encourage you to fight
through those layers to the heart of Christmas: joy, peace, and community.
Treasure the people around you.
Give your time, your laughter, your empathy, your comfort,
your gratitude, your attention, and your friendship this season. Your presence is a
gift that will outlast those fuzzy socks you got on sale.
If you’re looking for an example of awesome Christian
community, look no further than Acts 2:42-47 and the early church (it’s
basically saying it’s a great idea to have potlucks – which is good…I love
potlucks). This semester, I’ve been insanely blessed with the best roommates
imaginable and a Cru small group to match. Yes, these past couple months have
been demanding, but knowing I had two solid groups of friends to encourage me
made all the difference.
Christmas (and life) is better when you’re connected to people
you love. So, in the next few days leading up to Christmas, remember to be
present (even if it means saying bye to Facebook for a little bit!)
Bio: I’m Laura Kate (Otherwise known as LK, pictured bottom row in red), and I’m a junior studying English at Christopher Newport University! My favorite Christmas tradition is eating chicken curry on Christmas Eve with my family and watching It’s a Wonderful Life after dinner.
