What Do You Put in Storage after Christmas?

We are in the last week of January 2025. By this time most of us have repacked all of our Christmas decorations and put them in their usual storage locations. We have all of our decorations stored for another year with the exception of our tree. All the decorations are off and packed but the tree still stands in the corner of our family room and we turn on the lights every evening. What can I say? The tree looks pretty good and the multicolored lights provide a nice ambiance to the room and a reminder of the celebration of Christmas.

While taking down our decorations, I was reminded of a song recorded by Larnelle Harris several years ago that was in his Christmas album. The song is titled "All Year Long." The song begins with a father and son putting their Christmas decor back into the attic after Christmas. The young boy asks in all innocence this question: "Do we store away Jesus too?"

The boy's question is one that we should consider as well. Has Jesus become nothing more than a piece of our nativity scenes that can easily be placed back in a box and stored in the attic? Or maybe we pull out another decorative piece around Easter that shows Jesus on a cross and once Easter has passed, back in the box the decor goes.

Harris' song answers the young son's question with the truth that Jesus is not stored away but rather that the real Jesus is present "all year long." If our relationship with Jesus was upfront and present in our lives all year long, how different would our families, our communities, our churches, our nation, and our world be? If our hope and faith focused on Jesus rather than finances, politics, weather forecasts, and vocational promotions, what impact would our lives have on others?

In Paul's letter to the church at Colossae, we find these words in Colossians 3:16-17 which definitely point to a daily relationship with Christ that is lived out among all people.

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing

one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,

with thankfulness in your hearts to God.  And whatever you do,

in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,

giving thanks to God the Father through Him."

We are not called on to be the followers, believers, or disciples of Jesus on a holiday basis. As Paul wrote, Christ is to be evident in every aspect of our lives each day that we live. The Jesus who took on our sin on the cross, who rose on the third day from the tomb, who sits at the right hand of God, and is awaiting His return to us is never stored away. Decor may be put in a box, but Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God is always present.

May He always be visible through our lives each day.