Ever since I was a little kid, the Grinch has been almost as big a part of Christmas as Santa Claus.  And every year it’s easy to see where Dr. Seuss got the idea for the Grinch.  Just try to wade through Wal-Mart on a Saturday before Christmas, or wait in a line that never seems to end, or be waited on by a cashier that is the slowest human being on earth…when you’re in a hurry.  These things will make anybody into a Grinch.
It’s also easy to become grinchy when we are constantly bombarded with so many things that are NOT what Christmas is all about.  Sometimes, just in Dr. Seuss’ story, the noise, noise, noise, NOISE of the season drowns out the good things.
But remember what the Who’s down in Whoville did when the Grinch stole their stuff?  They kept sight of the true meaning of Christmas.  They kept it in their hearts even after he stole it from their homes.  They knew that “Christmas, perhaps, doesn’t come from a store”.
Most of us fight against becoming Grinches because like the Who’s, we know that beneath all the commercials and wrapping and tinsel and lights, Christmas is still Christmas.  It’s the one time of year when people try a little harder to find the good in themselves and others.  It’s the one time of year when “Peace on Earth” actually seems attainable.  It’s a time when love shows up in some of the strangest places.  And funnily enough, all these things happen when we are celebrating the birth of the Son of God.  Coincidence?  I don’t think so.
So let’s all be careful this Christmas that we don’t become Grinches, even when we have lots of reasons to be.  Let’s try to be Charlie Browns instead.  After Linus reminded him that Christmas is about the birth of Christ, Charlie Brown was okay and he had a great Christmas after all.  Yeah…let’s all try to be like Charlie Brown…just don’t try to kick any footballs.