Christmas 2015 - December 12

Take a Walk With a Cat in a Hat. A Christmas Hat. 

I walked through our office door yesterday afternoon and was greeted - and I admit scared half out of my Christmas spirit - by a nearly six foot tall cardboard cutout of a cat wearing a hat. A Christmas hat to be exact. (And that's to say very little about the rest of the attire of this sharp dressed cat). So one of my awesome co-workers helped me snap the picture above. 

Nobody could explain how the cat got there. Looking at the picture it's hard to rule out the possibility he walked through our office door the very same way the rest of us did. It's the most life-like six foot cat I've ever been photographed with. And believe me you, there have been plenty. More likely, I suppose, someone put it there as a way of sparking some Christmas fun. So some fun I had. 

As I've been writing my Christmas series this December, my words often take on a serious tone. It's not planned that way, but it's also certainly not a mistake. If you dig into the Christmas story you'll quickly discover it's a heavy one. Making it all the heavier - those who believe it have a responsibility to share it. 

Here's the part I too often leave out. Both with my words and my face. It's a joyful story. 

Psalm 16:11 says: You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

Ultimately, that is my motivation for this Christmas series. My path in life has taken me to the manger. It's repeatedly forced me to visit the cross. The result of those journeys is joy like I've never experienced on any other journey. Those visits have delivered me the only hope available to me to experience those pleasures forever. 

The reality is joy precipitates laughter. And this is a season filled with joy. I often wonder how often Jesus laughed - the bible speaks little if at all about Jesus laughing. I've come to believe this, though. Jesus loves me. I feel it especially strong in my laughter. It's quite possible that's Jesus' way of telling me I would be impossible to love without a sense of humor. (And if you don't believe Jesus just ask my wife). 

So make someone smile this Christmas. Make them laugh. Maybe take a picture of them with a cat in a hat. (A Christmas hat of course).