Through the years I have looked back and really learned to appreciate the simpleness that my parents gave us at Christmas time. When I was little I guess I probably didn't understand it all that much, at least not the gift part. My parents were never rich, could never a ford huge presents or big parties. I was brought up where even the little things were to be appreciated. Christmas was always simple in forms of gifts but in time spent with family and each other it was priceless.
Now, Christmas has changed for me. I have a family of my own. I have gotten caught up in the same routine of Christmas as every other Christian in America has. I have bought into the need to buy everything to try and see my kids be happy. I have been caught up in the need to make sure everything looks just so. I have been caught up in the thrill and the fun and the 'magic' of it all. I have been caught up, in Satan's tools of lies, forgetfulness, depression, and comparisons. Unfortunately because of these tools he uses I look around and I see unhappiness.
Sure, everything in the world looks beautiful, it looks like we are all happy. But truth is the happiness is only for a fleeting moment. We are happy to see others, while secretly we are at the store hoping that this year we get just the right toy for our child to make them happy for longer than a week, make them truly appreciate the things they have. Truth is we are all spending money looking for happiness and acceptance this time of year. The sad part is we have all bought into that lie that those things are what are going to get us accepted and appreciated.
We aren't happy because frankly, come January 6th or 7th a week after the festivities die down, we all get our bills for the money we have spent, the lights come down and the 'joy' is gone. We all realize that life is going to go back to the mundane boring old routine. We all realize that our kids are going to still throw fits, find no value in objects because they don't really comprehend what it means to go without something and they don't know the value of money. (in there world that stuff just appears in mom and dads wallets to give them what they want.)
But this year for Christmas I am having the same problem. I have been out looking for the best decor for my new home. I have been shopping aimlessly wondering what to get my husband for Christmas and my kids, and my in laws and my parents. Why? Why does everything seem so empty to me? I want to buy things for them and give them gifts but why do I get more joy out of giving clothes to a complete stranger than I do buying something fun for my family? I care so much about all my family and want them happy so why is Christmas becoming so hard and almost depressing?
The answer is simple. The stranger needed the clothes while my kids, my in-laws, my husband, my siblings they don't actually have a need for anything. It's hard to give something to someone when you know it's only half way appreciated. Why? Because the gifts we give are not gifts those people can live without, they are gifts that they like or wanted but didn't actually need. They are gifts that will just clutter up their already full wardrobe, or another toy to be added to the barely touched toy bin or another gadget that will hang on the wall where there are already too many decorations hung.
I can't help but realize how far I myself have come from the true meaning of it all. Sure Christmas was originally a pagan holiday set up for people other than Christians to celebrate Christ's birth. But as a Christian I claim to celebrate Christmas to honor the joy that was given in a manger so long ago. The truth is I can say that until I am blue in the face, but if you look at all the gifts I have already bought for people you would see that there is really not much about Christmas in the gifts that belong to celebrating Jesus birth.
So, what do I want for Christmas? I want simplicity. I want to give gifts to people who need them. I want people to stop buying stuff for me that though I am grateful that they think of me and want to get stuff for me I want them to share their wealth with someone who needs it. Those gifts that I get could feed kids who are starving. They could benefit the warming shelter or help an orphanage stay warm one more month.
I want a simple Christmas where I can really revel in the glory that was sent years ago. I want to bring it all back, back to the way it was when I was growing up where I may have only gotten a few small none expensive gifts but I enjoyed the time with my family just celebrating the happiness that comes and the real joy that comes from celebrating the birthday of a true King.
Does that mean I won't be buying things this year for my kids? No I have already bought things. But it does mean that next year and years to come there is a thing called simplicity that needs to be taught at this time of year. We have the rest of the year to spoil our kids why just do it one day out of the year? I plan to bring Christmas in my house back to the manger, where there were two poor people who couldn't even get a room in an inn to give birth to a King. I vow from this year out to make Christmas more simple to bring back the meaning of what Christmas is about. To show my children that Christmas is about bringing hope to a broken world, not just saying it, but doing it. Not just pretending to help but really helping. Not just in front of people so it looks good but behind closed doors where no one knows it was you.
I want Christmas in my house to be fun, to be joyful, to be full of hope and inspiring to my kids that they can see Jesus in me, especially at Christmas. The best gift I can give my kids is the joy of simplicity and the excitement of realness in knowing that Jesus came with a purpose to die, and raise so we could all have the one and only gift that we take with us when we die. All the other gifts of the world are futile when you look at the gift we should be giving and showing and sharing with everyone in the world around us. May my heart of this Christmas remain with me all year through, not just on Christmas, but may it shine extra bright to those who need to see the hope they are looking for.
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