~ Proverbs 22:6
We decided before our kids were born that we wouldn't tell them there was a Santa Clause. My mom never told us he was real. In some ways that was very comforting to me. Knowing that she tried to always tell me the truth, even in the small things. Her primary reason though, for us never believing in him, was that she wanted the focus to be on Christ alone.
Don't worry, I'm not here to write about whether or not you should tell your kids about the fat guy in the red suit.
I noticed these last couple weeks that while we weren't focusing on Santa, we weren't focusing on Jesus either! They go to school each day & come home singing songs about snowmen and reindeer and bells that jingle. None of that was focusing on why we should celebrate Christmas. Those things aren't wrong. I love snowmen and reindeer and bells that jingle. But the reason I celebrate Christmas is to celebrate the birth of my Lord Jesus. Why wasn't I telling my children that?
I was feeling very convicted! Thus began my list of ways to fix the problem. My MOPS group, without knowing of my convictions, came up with some very creative and wonderful projects for us to do. Beginning with, an advent calendar:
We made these really cute little envelopes that count down the days till Christmas. Inside each envelope we listed an activity for us to do as a family.
I purposefully have "Read the Christmas story" written in there about half a dozen times.
Tonight we were going to put our nativity together. Low and behold our MOPS group made these adorable Nativity block sets this morning:
As you can see it's the Hawaiian version of the nativity. All the main people are present. On the bottom we have Mary, Baby Jesus & Joseph. Next, three wisemen. Followed by a shepherd and angel. Finally the star that led the way, placed on the tippy top. The kids loved it! We went over the Christmas story while they pointed out the matching blocks along the way. It was a fun and different way for them to listen and learn.
Some of the other activities planned in our envelopes are making cookies for our neighbors. Buying/making gifts for their siblings (they get individual days out with mom or dad to buy/create presents for each other)
While I want them to remember that Christmas is about Christs' birth. I also want them to think of this as a season of giving. It's too easy to get caught up in the getting and giving of Christmas. I want the focus to be on others instead of themselves. I was talking to someone the other day. They said their kids only get three gifts at Christmas. In the Bible only three gifts are listed when it comes to Jesus getting presents at his birth (Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh) I thought that was a neat idea. Why should we get more gifts than Jesus did?
Teaching my kids about Jesus / God, should be an everyday thing. Don't get me wrong, I do try to incorporate Him into our daily lives. I just realized that in the busyness of the "holiday season", He wasn't getting the attention He deserved. I just though I'd share so that you could do a quick check and make sure you weren't falling into the same trap.
I'm praying that at the end of this season I can look back and say, "I trained my child(ren) in the way they should go, so that when they're old they won't turn from it."
Proverbs 31:10
A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.
