The "Where are you Christmas" song was playing in my head as I sat in my living room, looking at the debris from Christmas.

New gifts sat freshly played with and game cards were left unshuffled by their box. Wrapping paper brimmed from garbage bags by the window. Gene Autry's Christmas album filled the room with Christmas classics from the record player in the dining room. The tree was still lit, but no gifts laid underneath.

And then my eyes slowly moved to what was placed perfectly in front of the fireplace – the Nativity. The presents may have been gone and Santa's leftover cookies were ready for cleanup, but the one thing left untouched was the love of God and His perfect gift to us, our Savior.

Christmas is beautiful in every single way: Its aura of magic and mystery, the beauty of the music and lights, and the excitement of giving to others and gathering with family. It all adds up to Christmas joy. However, the Christmas spirit is noticeably dimmer once your family celebration is over and the gifts are all opened. It's a distinct feeling that can sometimes make us forget where our joy resides. It's easy to miss the cheer and the excitement in the postlude when the prelude is just so good.

But for us celebrating Christmas as Christians, it's the postlude that matters most.

Don't let the post-Christmas slump get you down. Instead, remember what it is that drives us and what Christmas has given us.

The time spent with family, the gifts and Christmas cheer, those are all well and good. Leave up your Christmas décor as long as you want and don't be ashamed to listen to Christmas music into the New Year. But remember what truly matters most. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, being born to save us from ourselves. In that, find joy and magnify blessings throughout your entire year. Hold fast to His love and in doing so the Christmas spirit will never die.

Sentinel-News contributor Iesha Toft lives in Royal.