Christmas packers come in different speeds.  There is the “obsessive-compulsive” model: “Okay, we’ve opened all the presents, let’s take down the tree, pack all this stuff up, and get it in the attic before breakfast.”  Every decoration has a color-coded box.  I went into the barn of one of these people.  Four shelves were stacked with red and green Rubbermaid Tote boxes and were labeled in the order they were to be taken down and put up.  These folks also had their tree up the day after Thanksgiving and all their Christmas shopping done by the end of October.  God bless these people; they run on a schedule and do not understand why other people are so stressed in the days before Christmas.  If we put them in charge of distributing the COVID vaccine, we’d all be inoculated by now. 

The opposite extreme, of course, is the “We’ll get around to it” model.  These souls believe the neighborhood enjoys the Christmas lights, so they’ll leave them up until Valentines Day.  Or maybe St. Patrick’s Day.  The cue to take down the Christmas tree is when the last needle falls.  In fact, it is not uncommon for these folks to discover a Christmas gift that was never opened or delivered – from 2003.  You will often find these folk in Walmart at 5 PM, Christmas Eve, with a panicked look on their face.  Their procrastination is responsible for the odd presents you sometimes receive: the thoughtful gift of a Christmas Tree air freshener from the corner gas station, or that thoughtful bottle of Maalox from Walgreens. 

Great marital strife occurs when an “Obsessive-compulsive” person is joined with a “We’ll get around to it” person.  The result is usually the “Obsessive-compulsive” person takes charge during the holidays with the “We’ll get around to it” person grudgingly obeying orders.  The second most popular way of dealing with this tension is divorce.

The middle of the road model is the “We have to get this done” model.  The day after each Thanksgiving, there is the adventure of searching for Christmas decorations and the inevitable “Where are all the ornaments I bought last year?” question.  Multiple trips are required to buy new lights and string them up.  Once this task is completed, the box with the old lights is discovered.   Christmas is celebrated, but the tree and the décor remain up until after the interesting bowl games are over.  These folks open a cabinet and find it stuffed with the stuff they had moved out of the way to display the Christmas stuff.  So grudgingly, grumbling, they start in on the job, and eventually get Christmas put away until the next year. They have to go to the store to buy more storage boxes, but all the green and red ones are gone, so Christmas decorations go in garish orange totes (which is okay with Clemson fans).  The boxes are lugged to the attic.  Once placed there, they will migrate to the far corners, hiding out until next December. 

No matter which model you are – and you know who you are - before you pack up Christmas, remember to keep some things out:

• Keep out a generous spirit. It’s the best part of who you are. The more generous you are, the more you have a character like God.

• Keep out joy – the Good News and great joy of a Savior doesn’t go away. Think how different your life would be if the joy of our Savior stayed with you every day of the coming year.

• Keep out the part of your heart that sings. One reason we love Christmas is we know the songs. People who never sing will rumble along to a familiar carol. Keep rumbling along – sing praise to God; it will lighten your heart and give you perspective.

Most of all, keep out Jesus.  Too many of us treat Jesus like the porcelain figure in a dime-store manger scene.  It’s great to bring Jesus out for Christmas, but afterwards, we want to wrap Him in old newspaper and put Him back in the box until next Christmas.   

If you keep Jesus with you all year long, you might be surprised at how surprising He is.

Before you pack up Christmas, remember it is not just about keeping Christ in Christmas; it’s about Christ being in you and with you all year.