"What if your friends and family chose to buy gifts for themselves and spent time on YOUR birthday enjoying the gifts they had purchased? Would you feel left out? Forgotten? Unloved? I wonder if Jesus feels loved when His birthday is celebrated around the world. Does he feel appreciated for the purpose He was born or does He feel forgotten?" a quote from "One Million Moms"
I saw this posted on facebook today, and it really got me thinking. It's an issue that always pulls at my heart this time of year, and it is focusing on the real meaning of Christmas. For most of you who know me well, you know that excessive consumerism really bothers me. It's just the time of the year, with ads for absolutely everything imaginable for things that you might not need otherwise.
I'm amazed at all the commercials on qubo channel for kids items. The kids love watching them, but I always give them the disclaimer, that just because you see it on tv, does not mean that you're going to get it. The only exception to this, is that my sister got them both pillow pets, and they are thrilled to pieces with. I just think in general that kids are bombared with all these cool things, that they think, "I want this, and I want that." Although my kids generally aren't gimme gimme kind of kids, I do have them watch the same 2 movies every year. The first being, "The Toy that saved Christmas." It's a veggie tales movie, and the story is to teach kids what the true meaning of Christmas is, that it is Jesus's birthday, and not all about the presents. The second, is "Charlie Brown Christmas." I just watched that this morning with Braden, and I just love the timeless message of how we can get caught up in all the shopping and presents, and lose focus of the fact that we should be celebrating the true meaning of Christmas.
I've taken the simplistic approach to decorating for Christmas this year.We have our nativity set on top of the piano, with Happy Birthday Jesus cards, that the kids have made over the years, as well as a soft nativity set that the kids can play with on their level. We also have the tree in all it's glory, and our stockings, but I've pretty much put away all the Santa themed stuff away. The kids did go see Santa at Bass Pro the other day and loved it. I don't emphasize Santa a lot, just for the simple fact of keeping the focus on where it should be at Christmas, Jesus's Birthday. When I was in Kindergarten, I vividly remember riding home from school on the bus, and telling a little boy that Christmas was Jesus's Birthday, and there was no Santa, and he was in tears. I was trying to be a bold little witness I guess. I haven't been as blunt to tell the kids that there is no Santa (even though I wish I could), because there is some fun with it. -side note-I will tell them flat out that there is no Easter Bunny, because that's another holiday that has been overridden with consumerism. Gift Baskets, of disproportionate sizes, all the candy etc. For some kids it can be easy for them to get distracted by all the pretend stuff, and lose focus of what's really important, like celebrating Jesus dying for our sins, and rising again. We will do the Ressurection eggs.When I was growing up, we'd have gift baskets, that had a spiritual theme- worship tape/cd, worship piano book, cross necklace, devotional, and some candy. Which I think is a more appropriate thing that what you see at the stores in the pre-packaged easter baskets.
In keeping with simplicity this year, I already told the kids, to not expect what they got last year to be a standard thing by any means. We're keeping it with 3 gifts per child, which is symbolic of the 3 gifts given to Jesus when he was a baby, by the 3 wise men. Which this year, is clothes, books, and a toy (or video). They also got toy story 1,2,3 for FREE! from our debit card points :) which was a nice bonus.Things that they can use and need, but won't be thrown in the closet with their other things only to be forgotten about later. I'm also teaching them what it's like to give things to those less fortunate who don't have as much. By donating things to local charity, or helping a friend in need, to let them know that there are people out there who would be lucky to have those things that they can sometimes take forgranted.
That's one thing I really appreciate my parents doing when my sister and I were younger. They would give away toys/clothes we didn't use anymore and donate to the Salvation Army. My parents were also involved with Habitat for Humanity downtown, and every year around Christmas we would ride with Salvation Army-Meals on Wheels program, to go with them to deliver in person, meals to homeless people living in the city. I think that is a huge thing to teach children compassion at such an early age. I can't wait till Braden is just a little older that we can start doing things like that in our community. My sister and I grew up well off. We never wanted for anything. So to counter us living in affluent South JOCO, my dad, who worked in downtown KC at the time, thought that would be a good idea to expose us to what the rest of the world was like. Even when we would go on vacation, ex.NYC, or Washington DC, to point out the homeless and less fortunate, not in a form of ridicule, but to open our eyes to the reality of the world that we live in. The funny part of this story is that my sister and I were both exposed to these same things, but we have different hearts. We both took away from the same events, different things. My sister who now works in downtown KC, has become a little indifferent to people begging for money on the streets etc. Where as if I see someone out in the cold in makes me cry. It's just the heart and personality that God gave us, and how we use those experiences to serve him better. So I encourage my friends who have kids old enough to do the same to make sure your kids know about life outside of what I called our JOCO Bubble. That there is diversity, there are those less fortunate, to see things through God's eyes, not societies eyes.
My prayer is that we would not forget that Jesus is the Reason for the season. To read the bible story to our kids, do advent bible verses, as a time of prayer and reflection leading up to Christmas. That we would celebrate Christmas in a way that would glorify God, and not make Jesus feel unloved or forgotten.
Also check out this awesome organization, "Advent Conspiracy," www.adventconspiracy.org where their goal is to replace consumption with compassion!!! Their 4 main points are: Worship Fully, Spend Less, Give More, Love All.
