Season 3 Blog 22
Isaiah 9:6 NLT
“For a child is born to us,
a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…” goes the song. Depending on your family traditions you may be decorating and preparing earlier or later in the season. There are lists of gifts to buy, baking to make (if you have time!), cards to write, parties with staff, school, daycares, friends, and family, school concerts, and special church services. And that doesn’t include the actual days of Christmas and New Year’s. There may be some heated discussions around whose house you go to for Christmas dinner or holiday celebrations and for how long.
I think of the poem from a children’s Advent book we used to read to my boys. It’s a bit dated now but I still think of it. It’s about the Murgdorp family and goes like this:
The Murgdorps are frantic. The Murgdorps are wild.
Each tall Murgdorp parent, each small Murgdorp child
Adds its loud wail to the hullabaloo:
“Christmas is coming! There’s so much to do!
“Buy some more presents. We’re short forty-three.
Clean up the family room. Chop down the tree.
Polish the ornaments. See? They’re hazy.
Christmas is coming and we’re going crazy.
“Keep baking cookies. You know we need dozens.
Send off the cards to the out-of-town cousins.
Don’t stop to think or to talk or have fun.
Christmas is coming! We’ll never get done!
“String blinky lights up all over the house.
Shampoo the cat. Tie a bow on the mouse.
More decorations! More glitter! Be quick!
Christmas is coming and we’re feeling sick.”
Hush! Not a sound. All the Murgdorps are sleeping.
When they wake up, there’ll be plenty of weeping.
Three days they’ve slept, which is really too long.
“Christmas is over? What did we do wrong?”1
Maybe your Christmas plans aren’t quite as frantic as the Murgdorps but I think many of us can all relate to wanting a “long winter’s nap” by the time we’ve created our lists of “to do’s” let alone getting it all done.
There are many wonderful things about this season but there are also many things that are stressful and overwhelming about it. For young families there can be the tug and pull of differing family traditions and whose you will follow. Parents, you will likely have to compromise and may feel that something is missing no matter how hard you try to make it all work out. Children can be overwhelmed with all of the excitement, extra treats, and activities which often leads to more meltdowns and tears as they feel these big feelings.
I think I have struggled for years with the idea in my head of a “perfect Christmas” that never really became a reality. Trying to capture certain moments or feelings from my childhood, perhaps, or wanting to recreate something from a movie. But real life doesn’t always go the way I plan and even if it does, it may not evoke what I was hoping it would.
I think we put a lot on one date of the calendar that just isn’t able to live up to the hype. I wonder if we’ve made Christmas an idol in our lives? If we’re looking to Christmas as a source of peace and joy or fulfillment and happiness, then we really have made it something it was never meant to be. Which might make us want to pause and take a second look at all the things we try to put in our Christmas experience.
We’re not commanded to observe Christmas in the Bible but it is a wonderful time to worship Jesus and reflect on the fact that he became a human being and lived in this world. Taking time with your family to read through the stories of Jesus’ birth and early years is a great way to do this. Giving gifts is also a wonderful tradition as long as we don’t let it become a burden of debt or an obligation instead of a heartfelt way to love others and honor God. We want to be generous this time of year but it’s not isolated to just Christmas – we are called to be generous year-round. How can we do this without burning ourselves or our bank accounts out?
Did you know that we can pray and ask God to show us what he wants us to be a part of and what we can let go of over the holidays? We can even ask him to show us how to have a meaningful time this season – you may find he gives unexpected gifts of his presence and grace that you might have missed otherwise. Taking intentional time each day to connect with Jesus and invite him into our day, our week, and even this season is an important part of making sure we’re keeping Christ at the center of our Christmas.
This season let’s make sure we’re putting Jesus first in all things. It’s easy to get caught up trying to fit everything in and make it the best season ever. Instead, make it your family’s prayer to ask Jesus how he wants you to celebrate his birth. It may make it a different season but look expectantly for the ways God wants to make it a season of love, joy, peace, and hope.
Matthew 12:21 NLT
“And his name will be the hope of all the world.”
1 Poem, “The Murgdorps,” written by Carol Greene and taken from the book Waiting for Christmas: Stories and Activities for Advent, Augsburg Publishing House, 1987.
Sarah has been Pastor of Children & Families at The Journey Church for seven years. Her passion is to see families growing in their faith with Jesus together and living it out in their homes, neighborhoods, and schools, as well as being deeply connected with their church family. To find out more about The Journey Church ministries go to onthejourney.ca. To contact Sarah you can email her at sarah@onthejourney.ca.