Merry Christmas Eve, friends!! A few holiday thoughts as you get ready for tonight and tomorrow…
I’m going to have to be honest…this year has been much different than years past. Since April, a good portion of my world has been wrapped up in co-existing with over 200 youth and children 6 days each week in two different churches. That’s a whole lot of broken crayons, Clorox wipes, stinky feet,, “Watch this, Mr/Mrs/Pastor Todd!”s, and snaggle-tooth grins, huh? What a blessing! Through all those children though, God has given me a new and challenging perspective when it comes to this month that often tops the list as a child’s favorite.
A little Christmas testimony…
The last 4 weeks have been very predictable from my child-laden perspective…red- and green-laced excitement and wonder burst onto the scene even before the Thanksgiving turkey made its final exit. Santa began “Ho Ho Ho”ing, Elfs on a Shelf awakened, launching into their mischievous schemes and everywhere, songs about 9 reindeer, a magical snowman, and a romantic interlude between Mommy and Santa burst forth from most every iPod, Hallmark movie and cell phone imaginable. With each passing day, I watched as these “emblems of Christmas” pushed and shoved their way to the head of the Christmas entourage in the minds and hearts of all the children who surrounded me. Students proclaimed stories to me of how good they’ve been and bombarded me with lists of all the gifts they HOPE to receive, EXPECT to receive (how about that??) or already KNOW they will be receiving.
That’s what we’ve programmed them to do. ☹
My beautiful boys and girls made me homemade Christmas trees out of pipe cleaners, green construction paper and LOTS of glitter! They made me enough homemade Christmas cards to wallpaper a room and though I love the sentiment behind every single one of them, only a handful have anything to do with the Nativity. A small handful. In the malleable attention span of these kiddos, Baby Jesus has been left to the cold, marginalized background, receiving a moment in the spotlight here and there only when specifically prompted. Otherwise, Jesus has been simply set on the Christmas mantle alongside the other “gods” of the holiday already mentioned. We as parents and caregivers have put Him there and the kids are simply acting on what we’ve taught them to do. Think about it for a moment.
Sigh.
Our families can do better, my friends. Today and tomorrow, prayerfully take control of the Christmas spotlight that has been pirated by our prevalent culture and re-focus it on the only non-fictional aspect of this season…the Christ-Child. Don’t let the lifeless gods of Christmas distraction ever overshadow the ever-living God of Christmas celebration. Don’t know how or where to start? Let’s talk.
Merry CHRISTmas to each of you…
Landon <><
Artwork by Greg Olsen of gregolsen.com
