“Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Ps 100:2)

Inevitably, I leave behind a Christmas decoration or two when I put everything away in January. When I come across these items, they serve as happy reminders of the joyous season just passed. It was with that thought in mind that I decided to do three things to keep the spirit of Christmas alive this year even after the holiday season was over. First, I left the Christmas decorations up a little longer. Second, I continued to listen to Christmas music whenever the mood would strike me. And third, I decided to add Christmas books to my reading list throughout the year.

Here’s a true confession: I’ve only just taken down my Christmas decorations, and my tree is still up. I’ve never left decorations up this long before. Even when I didn’t decorate the tree until the middle of December, I still took everything down and put it away for safekeeping after the first week in January. Last year, I wrote about my annual tradition of putting things away after the first of January and getting my house back in order. (You can read about it here.)

In the Bible, God instructs the Israelites to remember the commandments he has given them by using physical reminders: “Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates” (Deut 6:6-9). In addition, the Israelites celebrated with feasts and festivals in order to commemorate various events and remember all that God had done for them.

This year, I wanted to break with my annual tradition and surround myself with physical reminders to focus on Jesus. The bright lights and festive ornaments on the tree served as a quick pick-me-up and a visual reminder to worship Christ no matter the time of year. Every time I gazed at the tree, I was reminded of the hope and joy found only in him. As I move forward throughout the year, I can share this hope and his love with everyone I meet.

Dear Jesus, thank you for providing reminders to worship you and you alone all year. Help me to focus on you and not lose sight of your awesomeness. Amen.