Preparing Ourselves to Find Christ in Christmas
Co-Written by Lee A. Burdge and Jenny D. Webb (from The Dents in My Armor Podcast)
Lights softly twinkle on the gently falling snow. The smell of spiced cider permeates the air. The
decorated tree covered with heirloom ornaments, hung with the sharing of tender memories and shared
laughter. The presents are artistically placed at the base of the tree, lovingly and thoughtfully planned,
purchased and wrapped. The sounds of children happily playing a board game, Christmas music softly playing in the background. Looking around at your clean home, decorated with love for this most special holiday, you bask in the reality that it’s only December first and you are ready to welcome in a season of planned family activities, a month of magic and joy! Yes, this truly is a season of peace and celebrating!
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if that was really what the holidays looked like? If the Christmas
masterpiece we were hoping to create this year more closely resembled a Norman Rockwell painting,
rather than a snapshot of holiday chaos? While there are moments, small moments, like the first idyllic
description during the Christmas season, for the most part, the month of December is more of a chaotic
sprint, with every intention to have Christmas ready before Dec. 24th! The calendar is packed with work
parties, Church parties, school parties, band concerts, choir concerts, Christmas dance recitals and
performances. Throw in a bank account that is too empty for a shopping list that is too long. Eating on the
run because of the hectic schedule. Kids who are overstimulated by the holiday “magic” leaving family
time feeling stressed. At times, the sound of bickering overshadows the sounds of Christmas music.
Rather than feeling holy and festive, perhaps you feel more frantic and stressed?
Is it possible to have a Christmas that is both festive and holy? Is it possible to get all the “to-do’s” done and still have time to reflect on this Holy Baby? How do we balance the things that have to be done with the moments of peace we desperately need and want?
Follow these steps as you strive to bring Christ back in to the center of the Christmas season:
First, look at the season of life you are in. Are you single, in a relationship, married, are there children in your home, what ages are they? All of these relationship questions and answers will dramatically impact what this holiday season looks like and feels like for you. From the perspective of a grandma, with only a husband and I living at home, it feels drastically removed from the years of raising kids and managing the variety of activities, expectations and ages.
Second, have an honest conversation with your family about what the expectations are and what traditions are meaningful to them. Perhaps you will learn that no one likes to make hundreds of sugar cookies, not even you! Or perhaps you will learn that the only part of your family traditions that matter are those hundreds of sugar cookies you make. Remember, just because you did something festive growing up, it doesn’t automatically mean you have to incorporate it in your life today. Sometimes, when we try to add in our childhood traditions, our partner’s childhood traditions, and the latest social media tradition trends, it can feel overwhelming and leave a spirit of anger, frustration and fatigue rather than excitement, hope, and joy.
During this planning session, whether it is still with your entire family, or you continue doing this part by yourself, build in time to also have lessons, discussions, and moments to reflect on Jesus Christ. This doesn’t have to be elaborate! For example, let everyone know that any time you are driving all together in the car, you will sing one Christmas song about Jesus, and you will take turns telling each other what one reason you are grateful for Jesus Christ. Remember, to bring Christ into the holiday season, you have to be deliberate about inviting Him.
Next, write down what your calendar already holds. Make sure everyone’s “can’t be missed”activities and obligations are listed. Once you know what time you still have available, you can also schedule in those special, more spiritual, moments you want to have. Just because they aren’t organic, doesn’t make them any less valuable and memorable. Make sure there is some down time in this calendar, time for you and those you love to relax, to play games together, and to have those spontaneous moments where you are focusing on the Who that this season celebrates.
Fourth, once your calendar is filled with both the obligations and the hopes, protect it fiercely! Only add something new to the schedule if there is actually room for it. And not just physical space, but also emotional, social and financial space. There are already enough “shoulds” of this season without adding onto that stress!
As you are protecting your calendar, remember to only keep the traditions that truly serve your family right now. Throw away the ideas of what Christmas “should” look like. If your family doesn’t have matching Christmas pajamas, and a new Christmas book to read together every night, that’s okay. And if you do have that, let it be because you and your family adore that aspect of Christmas, and that you’re not doing it out of social pressure. If the season is already too fatiguing and stressful to you, finding Christ in it will be challenging.
Finally, once the calendar, your expectations, and your traditions are managed, look at your finances. It is so stressful to spend more money than you have during this time of year. Be deliberate about what you can and can’t afford. The season will still be magical, even if you have a tight budget and choose to stick to it. When you think back on your own childhood Christmas memories, what stands out for you years, or even decades later? What you probably remember from those years are the same moments your family, children and loved ones will remember from the Christmas seasons you create for them. You probably don’t remember the individual gifts you received every year when you are growing up, and they won’t either. When you focus on the feelings, the laughter, the special ornaments, and the treasured traditions, celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, those will become the things and moments that they will remember and cherish in their lives.
What do we receive if we focus on Christ at Christmas? We receive the gift of worshipping Him, of remembering what we have been taught as we study His life. We feel our hearts turn to Him, and to others. We leave the chaotic and embrace the peace. We create a space that is not just festive, but holy for those we love. We set aside the challenges, frustrations and disappointments of our everyday lives and focus on the gift that is Jesus, doing so will simplify our lives.
Practical Steps to Bring the Spirit of Christ Back into our Christmas Celebrations
1. Be realistic about your expectations, be mindful of the season of life you are in.
2. Make sure that all your obligations are on the family calendar, don’t add anything to the schedule unless you truly have the time, finances, and emotional strength to accomplish the new opportunity.
3. Find small deliberate moments in each day to think about, talk about, or sing about Jesus Christ.
4. Be deliberate about your budget, being unnecessarily stressed about finances drives away feelings of peace.
As we pack away the decorations and turn off the twinkling lights, may the glow of Christ’s presence linger in our hearts. This Christmas let’s give ourselves and our families not just moments of joy but the lasting peace of knowing Him.
Merry Christmas
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