Finally! A hike with a little snow to help get me in the holiday spirit! After last week’s 72˚ hike, the cooler weather and light dusting of flakes did a lot to put me in a more Christmas-y state of mind. Which brings me to my topic for this week…the pitfalls of Hallmark Christmas movies.
Any fan of these will know that not one, but TWO Hallmark channels start airing these suckers 24 hours a day, seven days a week from November 1st through December 31st. All in all, as of this writing, there are over 100 different (and I use that term very loosely) Hallmark Christmas movies in existence, and more are being added each year. 
I say I use the term “different” loosely because, let’s face it, there are only a handful of different male characters (the widowed rancher, the cynical big-city executive, the small-town fireman, the millionaire/prince-in-hiding, etc.) and female characters (the single mom down on her luck, the high-powered no-nonsense attorney, the undiscovered girl-next-door beauty, the quirky independent artsy type, etc.), all of whom meet by chance with at least one love triangle plotline, a tough decision to make (usually between career and love) and of course, a Christmas miracle. With snow at the end. Even if it could never snow there. Extra points if they throw in a special needs child or a dog. Or both (A Dog Named Christmas, anyone?).
I don’t know about you, but I’m a sucker for these movies, as are many of my single friends. In them, the protagonists always find love and of course the implication is that they will live happily ever after. Some days I can watch these and just enjoy the good feeling of love, peace and harmony running through the plot line, but other days I end up in tears wondering when I am going to get MY Christmas miracle.
What I’ve learned is, watching stuff like this, if it stirs up a spirt of discontentedness, is a super bad idea. And it’s not just Hallmark Christmas movies. It’s romance novels, romantic comedies…anything that glorifies romance as the thing we can’t be truly happy without.
I’ve found that I’m going to expose myself to this stuff, I need to be exposing myself to at least an equal dose of reality. That includes spending time with my married friends who are vulnerable and open about some of the challenges being married can present. It includes reading books like Tim Keller’s The Meaning of Marriage (it’s sitting out in my Amazon store if you’re interested in checking it out) that talks in detail about the self-sacrifice a marriage requires to survive. It includes time spent in the Word, soaking myself in Truth. And it includes revisiting past relationships…acknowledging the fun, whirl-wind romance part right alongside of the oh-crap-this-isn’t-going-so-well part.
So if you’re like me, and you’re in a season where it’s easy to overindulge in the world of romantic fiction, maybe arm yourself with some perspective before opening that book cover or pressing “Play”.
I know this writer had it right:
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (Proverbs 4:23)
Keep it real people! Until next week…
