Let me just start by saying I LOVE CHRISTMAS! I love ALL things Christmas. I love the music, cookies, parties, family coming from far away, Christmas cards, decorations. I love it all! Well, except the Elf of the Shelf….that little guy creeps me out. I love ALMOST all things Christmas. Creepy elves notwithstanding, this is my favorite time of the year.
Christmastime just feels different. It feels bright and hopeful. The Christmas lights make an otherwise ordinary neighborhood, seem magical and Narnian. Grudges are put aside and relationships are rekindled. Even the secular world seems to understand that there is something important and mystical about this time of year.
Christmas and the preparation before, Advent, are a departure from everyday coming-and-goings. It is an opportunity to reflect on the goodness and love of God. A chance to push through the distractions and sit, like Mary, at the feet of Jesus. But how often do we get caught up in the busyness of Christmas? How often do we let our “to-do” list or “to-buy” list keep us from soaking in how beautiful this time of the year can be? How often are we Martha, when we should be Mary?
I had a pretty incredible and life-changing Lent this year. Since then, I have been on a journey to simplify. To learn to have less, to be content with less. So naturally this journey is leading me to a different kind of Christmas. A Christmas that hopefully looks less like the world, and more like Jesus.
Because lists are easy and who doesn’t like a good list, I’ve made a list of 3 ways my Christmas is already looking a little different this year.
1. My sister and I have decided to exchange family gifts. Between the two of us, we have 7 children, 2 husbands, 1 dog, and a partridge in a pear tree. That’s a lot of stuff. So in an effort to reduce the stuff, we are giving a gift that will draw the other family closer to each other. The gift of family time. The gift of experience. The gift of less.
2. One of my most important goals as a parent, is to raise grateful children. Children who understand and appreciate the everyday luxuries we experience. Children who have concern and empathy for those who don’t enjoy the same luxuries. I’m learning, though, that grateful children do not just happen. It is a very intentional and difficult process. It is a process of sometimes saying “no”, even when you have the means to say “yes”. We started fairly early on in our parenting journey only giving our kids 3 gifts at Christmas. Guess what? They’ve never been disappointed on Christmas morning. They have been able to truly enjoy the gifts they receive. They will learn and grow from the gift of “no.” (I did not mean for that to sound so Dr. Seuss, but you’re welcome.)
2 1/2. Along the lines of gift giving, I’ve been trying to change the way my mind thinks of what constitutes a good gift. A dollar amount? A checked off item from a list? More stuff to fill up space? I’m thinking outside the box this year. I’m shopping second-hand, giving experiences rather than stuff, giving my time, and making gifts. I cleaned and downsized my kids’ toys a few weeks ago because we were drowning in them. A few friends came and picked up things that were literally just collecting dust. One friend got all her sons Christmas toys. This is what Christmas gift-giving can look like. Swapping, sharing, giving, loving. It doesn’t have to cost a bunch of money and several hours at the mall to be a good gift.
3. I’ve tried to celebrate Advent as a family in the past, but got burned out. Mostly because I was still trying to keep up with all the Christmas craziness. So this year, we are doing Advent. We are focusing on preparing our hearts, not just our tree. We are doing a simple Jesse Tree devotion every morning. I drew a tree on a white board (we aren’t fancy in this house), and I’m giving my kids the gift of anticipation in Jesus’ coming. I’m giving them the gift of knowing the whole of history was groaning for Jesus to come. I’m giving them the gift of understanding what an amazing thing happened on Christmas morning.
All that being said, I can’t wait to decorate my Christmas tree and I’ve already started listening to Christmas music. I’m sending out Christmas cards, and I will probably buy something from the mall at some point. I’m not on a rampage against consumerism, but I am making the commitment this year of less. I will buy less. I will do less. I will hang up my apron for a little while, and sit at the feet of Jesus.
Learning From Flowers 