The holidays are quickly approaching and we're all already getting blasted with the Christmas marketing campaign. Hubby's business has taken a bit of a hit over the last couple of months and takes a month or two to actually "feel the pain" of the slow times. Which means we will be feeling the pain during the Christmas season. My children never ask for much. Well, the twins don't ask for anything, of course. Fortunately!! But my older two are pretty conservative with their "wish lists." So, it is setting up to be a meager Christmas.
I was laying in bed last night, feeling bad that I wouldn't be able to make all my kids dreams come true. They wouldn't be truly "wowed" this Christmas. About that same time God placed in my mind a moment from not even an hour before. Taylor and I were walking down the hall upstairs from her bedroom to mine. The boys were asleep on the same floor in their room. About halfway down the hall I started doing a crazy high-kneed run, but being quiet at the same time. By the time we got to my bedroom, Taylor was behind me giggling her head off. She then grabbed me from behind and when I spun around she gave me a big hug and exclaimed, "I love you, Mom." God put this on my heart because I needed to be shown that Christmas isn't about gifts, it's about the love of Christ. If I have a home full of love, laughter, and peace, could I really be bold enough to ask for anything more? To do so would be foolish!
5 comments:
Thank you for this.
I have a post started about what I big scrooge I have become. About how I almost wish the holiday would just disappear. Become a day we go to church and Praise God and that's all. Because surely all this madness: The stress of trying to get everything done and be everywhere, the pressure to have your home beautifully decorated, and baking done and the perfect holiday pictures.
And the money, the money for the pictures, the baking, the Christmas outfits, and the gifts. Goodness the gifts, everytime I turn around there is another person on the list.
This just can't be what it was supposed to be about. It was supposed to be about a miracle. About a baby to save our world from ourselves. About God's grace and beauty and ultimate sacrifice.
We have lost that somewhere along the way.
So thanks for this.
I'm in agreement with Chaotic Joy. Christmas has always been my favorite holiday, but not always for the right reasons. It's getting to where I cringe when I see "Christmas colors" come out. And tinsel, well, I can't stand tinsel anymore!
We are getting minimal gifts this year, as we did last. Most gifts will be necessities, like new shoes for those who need them. We've actually been "down-sizing" Christmas for a few years now. We love to celebrate the Lord, but we should do that everyday anyway. Getting rid of the fat man in the red suit was an excellent move for us. The kids couldn't focus on Jesus with Santa around... things are much more joyful and peaceful now.
I CAN SO AGREE ON THIS. I LOVE WHAT CHRISTMAS IS REALLY ABOUT. EVERY YEAR I GET SO MAD WHEN I SEE SO MUCH CHRISTMAS STUFF GO OUT EVEN BEFORE HALLOWEEN. IT JUST FUSTRATES ME BECAUSE I KNOW THAT ITS NOT THERE TO REMIND PEOPLE OF JESUS AND HIS BIRTH BUT TO GET PEOPLE TO SPEND MONEY AND GET TIRED OF CHRISTMAS BEFORE IT EVEN GETS HERE. I HEAR PEOPLE SAY ALL THE TIME THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS HOW MUCH THEY ARE SO GLAD THAT CHRISTMAS IS OVER AND I CRINGE. CHRISTMAS IS NOT OVER. JESUS WAS JUST BORN. CHRISTMAS HAS JUST BEGUN. WHEN I WAS GROWING UP WE ALWAYS PUT THE TREE UP TWO WEEKS BEFORE CHRISTMAS AND TOOK IT DOWN TWO WEEKS AFTER CHRISTMAS. IN MY OPINION IF PEOPLE WOULD NOT START THE CELEBRATION EVEN BEFORE THANKSGIVING THEY MIGHT NOT BE SO TIRED OF XMAS BEFORE XMAS DAY. WHEN A BABY IS BORN DO PEOPLE GO SEE THE BABY AT THE HOSPITAL THAT DAY AND THEN JUST FORGET ABOUT IT THE NEXT DAY. NO, FAMILY AND FRIENDS CELEBRATE THE BIRTH OF THAT NEW LIFE FOR DAYS TO COME. SO WHY DON'T WE DO THAT WITH THE BIRTH OF JESUS? ANOTHER TRADITIONI HAVE IS THAT I DON'T PUT THE BABY JESUS OUT UNTIL CHRISTMAS EVE. WE ALL HAVE OUR TRADITIONS AND I AM NOT DOWNING ANYBODY ELSE'S, JUST SHARING MINE. I GUESS I GOT A LITTLE CARRIED AWAY WITH THIS COMMENT. SORRY ABOUT THAT. WELL I LOVE YA AND HOPE TO SEE YA SOON.
Thanks for posting on my blog. It is alway great to find a fellow "mom surviving twinhood". I am in the process of writing a blog about what our Christmas is going to look like. Money is an issue, but I think this is God's way of showing us what the point of Christmas is and should be. I look forward to reading your blogs and getting to know you through the blog world.
Thanks for posting this, how special.
We celebrate Christmas by lighting a candle and putting it on top of a cupcake. Then we all sing Happy Birthday to Jesus.
Once we do that we say what Christmas is all about. It isn't about the tree and all the glitter. It's not about the presents. It's about how much God loves us, and how much we are suppose to love eachother.
Hopefully I'm teaching my kids that.
Jillian
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