Well...it's done. Christmas is over. The children have their gifts. No more major baking until Valentines. The crowds at the stores will begin to diminish in a few days. We are making plans for New Years Eve. The Christmas decorations will come down soon.
And then the holiday season will be over.... like a huge wave pulling back into the ocean after a storm.
I'm relieved in a way. This year has been a hard one.
We are blessed though. We have a roof over hour heads, food on our plates, clothes on our backs and friends and family who love and adore us.
Which prompts me to ponder this question......
How do we return to the years when the holiday season ENHANCE these simple joys instead of DISRUPTING them?
Why should the season devoted to friends and family, charity and the celebration of the greatest gift ever given to mankind...that of sacrifice....tear our families apart.
We argue over which side of the family we should spend our time with. We worry about what we will wear to the too many social events we schedule. Most of the time these social events then keep us from spending time with our children. And we spend too much money on gifts that we 1) Probably don't need or 2) could get at ANY other time.
Yesterday we spent our Christmas day in a very nice, old fashioned way. We went to a friends house, ate simple yet delicious food, spent time talking and played games.
During the course of our conversation we discussed the commercialism of the holidays and upon further contemplation I wish to set forth a challenge, to you...and myself, for the coming year.
Spend more time with those you love during the year leading up to Christmas so that you don't feel so obligated to do so during the holidays.
Make the birthdays of those you love a bit more special and put more energy into making Jesus birthday about HIM. (This is not my idea...it was relayed to me by a friend. Thanks Tonnie!)
And I have this notion that if we would use our talents to come up with more handmade gifts it would force us to put more thought into what we are giving. It would make us plan ahead because we would need time to work on our projects. And it would teach our children the value of truly CONSIDERING what another persons interests are.
Now....there will always be room for that Christmas Eve engagement ring....or tickets to that holiday production.....but time spent on a photo album filled with family pictures, a handmade quilt, an original t-shirt design, a hand bound short story or a framed drawing....these things will be remembered and treasured forever.
Don't think you are creative enough for a handmade gift. You'd be surprised.
Like I said...I do not believe what I have proposed is "THE ANSWER"....it is more of a challenge towards creative thinking.
The point is this.....in a world filled with instant gratification and super sized EVERYTHING..... let us remember that we as believers celebrate Christmas because of a TINY baby born in the very simplest of circumstances.
And then the holiday season will be over.... like a huge wave pulling back into the ocean after a storm.
I'm relieved in a way. This year has been a hard one.
We are blessed though. We have a roof over hour heads, food on our plates, clothes on our backs and friends and family who love and adore us.
Which prompts me to ponder this question......
How do we return to the years when the holiday season ENHANCE these simple joys instead of DISRUPTING them?
Why should the season devoted to friends and family, charity and the celebration of the greatest gift ever given to mankind...that of sacrifice....tear our families apart.
We argue over which side of the family we should spend our time with. We worry about what we will wear to the too many social events we schedule. Most of the time these social events then keep us from spending time with our children. And we spend too much money on gifts that we 1) Probably don't need or 2) could get at ANY other time.
Yesterday we spent our Christmas day in a very nice, old fashioned way. We went to a friends house, ate simple yet delicious food, spent time talking and played games.
During the course of our conversation we discussed the commercialism of the holidays and upon further contemplation I wish to set forth a challenge, to you...and myself, for the coming year.
Spend more time with those you love during the year leading up to Christmas so that you don't feel so obligated to do so during the holidays.
Make the birthdays of those you love a bit more special and put more energy into making Jesus birthday about HIM. (This is not my idea...it was relayed to me by a friend. Thanks Tonnie!)
And I have this notion that if we would use our talents to come up with more handmade gifts it would force us to put more thought into what we are giving. It would make us plan ahead because we would need time to work on our projects. And it would teach our children the value of truly CONSIDERING what another persons interests are.
Now....there will always be room for that Christmas Eve engagement ring....or tickets to that holiday production.....but time spent on a photo album filled with family pictures, a handmade quilt, an original t-shirt design, a hand bound short story or a framed drawing....these things will be remembered and treasured forever.
Don't think you are creative enough for a handmade gift. You'd be surprised.
Like I said...I do not believe what I have proposed is "THE ANSWER"....it is more of a challenge towards creative thinking.
The point is this.....in a world filled with instant gratification and super sized EVERYTHING..... let us remember that we as believers celebrate Christmas because of a TINY baby born in the very simplest of circumstances.
