With the holiday season just beginning I was wondering what others did to keep the holidays focused on the true meaning and not on the commercial end of it. At our home we encourage traditions such as baking cookies with the kids, homemade English muffins the day after Christmas, and time spent together. I am looking for other ways to push out the commercial aspect so that my family can focus. My children are not particularly gift oriented and their lists are usually small and well thought out. (Of course as young children I would ask them their list a dozen times and then focus only on the few gifts that consistently stayed on the list. To be considered it had to stay on the top 3 for at least 3-4 requests. Now that they are getting older (teens and tweens) I am looking for ways to stay connected with them.
Ideas?
We treat it like any other day and avoid going to town during these times and getting caught up in the madness and movement of this time of year. We've never really done Christmas like other people and have moved more and more away from it all over the years, particularly these past few. We pretty much feel like honoring the birth of Christ is following His example and commandments each and every day, so we do that...we live it all year round.
We don't worry about the "Christmas spirit", but follow the direction of the Holy Spirit in our giving, of ourselves and the resources God has bestowed upon us and we make this our work all year round, every year of our lives now. We don't let go of that warm glow and that feeling of deep joy that comes with serving others...it's too good of a feeling to only do it once a year.
We do get together with family, much like we do often anyway, have good food, play games and laugh a lot, help one another in our lives and pretty much carry on like we do all the time.
We don't decorate, we don't give special gifts, cards or play special music, we don't have trees, garlands or twinkling lights. We don't go shopping or take advantage of sales or "good deals", especially not on "Black Friday", that day so aptly named. Come to think of it, we don't do any of the things that the world thinks makes up this event they call "Christmas"...we've pretty much stepped out of it and have come out, become separate. I can't even begin to express how grateful I am that I am not a part of any of that...I was just driving through town today thanking God for that, over and over.
Mostly we just be still, at peace and joyful in the deepest sense, much like we are all the time now, thankful all day, every day, for all the things the Lord has given to us and all the things He has taken away. We try to stay home and away from town unless we just have to go there, work quietly at the tasks we are supposed to be doing, rest in the grace of God, study His word, pray without ceasing and thanking Him for all things, in all ways. What deep, abiding joy and peace there is in it all!
