Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Honoring the Christ in Christmas

I always find myself feeling a bit down during the holiday season. It lasts from before Thanksgiving until after the New Year. I know that part of that stems from not being with my extended family. Growing up, we were surrounded by aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, brothers and sisters, and parents. Now, we're in Ohio, a brother is in Texas, another in Michigan, and parents in Florida. Those myriad numbers of cousins, aunts, and uncles are scattered around the country, maybe a few even out of the country. Of course, there are also those who have gone on to be with the Lord. So, perhaps some of my moodiness is due to being without them.

However, some of what leads me to not looking forward to the holidays - is what the season has become. Halloween isn't even over before the Christmas decorations are out at the store. Kids start wish lists before Thanksgiving, catalogs come by the boatload in the mail. One event after another gets scheduled, shopping chores mount up, gifts need to be sent out, goodies need to be made. I don't really mind those things - but where in there does the meaning of Christmas get any headlines?

At various times since beginning homeschool, I've tried implementing a daily Christmas project, a devotional. As the years have gone by, it's been harder and harder to incorporate that into the family structure. It's easier sometimes, to go with the flow. But I feel we're missing something. The simplicity of Christmas is gone. The purpose of celebrating is shaky. It's not completely missing, since we are involved in church and

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