I cannot decorate much for Christmas since we will be flying to Colombia shortly after and will not return until February. I do not want to come home to Christmas decorations that need to be put away!!! I do not have time to decorate and definitely do not have time to put decorations away as we are scurrying around to leave for Colombia. So, I was not planning on putting anything out. However, talking to my Mom today, I decided I do have time to get out & put away a few little things that will help me/us feel like it is even the Christmas season! So, I took a bit of time to bring up one box and I can get out some special items to add a little Christmas spirit to the Armstrong household.
Let's face it, Christmas festivities do not easily fit into our extremely cramped schedule over here. It would be really nice to take a rain check for next year! While everyone else's life goes on like normal, our life is not! This year, Christmas festivities definitely seem like a luxury that we do not have the time to indulge in.
Yes, this is the time of year we celebrate Christ's incarnation. However, let's be honest about what Christmas has turned into in this nation. Do our celebrations promote or rob Christ of the attention He deserves? This season has become an all-out propaganda campaign from all the Stuff-Marts wanting people to buy things to somehow prove we "care" about others in our life and to pick up a few things for ourselves along the way. They are just pushing a bunch of junk on us. Hardly anything is homemade, custom for the recipient, heartfelt. No time to put much thought into it. We have become a nation of zombies chanting mantras to ourselves as we wander through stores, "must get gift for so & so...don't know what...just buy something." Certainly, no time or money left for people who are poor, needy, lonely, hurting - unless we throw a few coins in a kettle as we rush in & out of stores. Get-togethers where people hardly feel like smiling, let alone taking time to acknowledge the significance of why in the world we are even celebrating this holiday. Is it all for egg nog, reindeer, jingle bells, Mr. Red Suit, gift exchanges, parties? Where's the joy, where's the depth, where's the soul-searching, where is the worship?
We DO have time for reflection, for opening up the Scriptures to recall what amazing provision the Lord of All has made for us! To lift up our voices to the Lord of Glory, to praise Him, to thank Him! To focus on the Messiah who was promised and longed for and who faithfully came! God kept His promise! His lavish generosity to us creatures needs to be remembered! This is the reason worth celebrating! Let us not be foolish to miss this, to not have grateful hearts, to let meaningless traditions crowd Him out, to not exalt Him to His proper place in this season and especially in our individual hearts each day of the year.
3 comments:
AMEN!!! I've been telling Ben the same thing. Well said!
This is our first year with children and people think we will lavish them with toys...No! We're not doing decorations, either; our plan is to begin to read scriptures and light the Hanukkah candles that lead up to the 25th, and then we want to celebrate Christ's birth and death and resurrection by sharing testimony and telling "God stories", eating birthday cake, and then we decided to buy the children 2-3 gifts each and no more(most likely learning toy (leapfrog), shoes?, and another bible) . People don't understand-- they are so appreciative for the small things they do have...and then, what is Christmas? We don't want it to be all about "look what I got", but "look what God did for me...and giving. CHI has these orphan ornaments where we can give just $15--to pay for one child to eat 3 meals a day for 30 days in Vietnam!!! Hello? I'd rather put food in the belly of a baby for a whole month than spend it on a teddy bear for a baby that has 3 of them already! And, I think if I asked my children that, they would agree!
Awesome post! Can't wait to see your three jewels!
Amen to both of you!! World vision also has a program where you can give people in 3rd world countries chickens and goats and other things they need. we are thinking about 'giving' my mother-in-law and sis-in-law some chickens and goats since we know they would also agree that they'd gather those that have nothing get these gifts instead of us giving them more of things they don't really need. . . . Christmas can be so frustrating sometimes, but we try to keep it in perspective too by taking time out to reflect and worship Jesus!
I think it is the parents responsibility to incorporate what they feel is important about the season. We just recently started a new tradition this year. We have an Advent book and an Advent Devotion. Just wait until next year when you have all your kiddos. You will love seeing the excitement that they get from the little things. Our son loves to help putting Christmas lights up and he's only two.
Post a Comment