It’s time for Tip #4, and I’ve saved the best tip for last!
We’re headed into the final countdown until Christmas Day, and these last few moments have the potential for great excitement but also epic meltdowns from overtired children and overwhelmed moms and dads. Dormant (or sometimes not-so-dormant) in anticipation of wished-for gifts and photo-perfect opportunities lurk the equal opportunity for disappointment and hurt feelings.
How can we end this season well and crush those negative emotions?
There’s really only one solution to help us curb those unrealistic expectations and finish this Christmas season with joy and sweet memories.
It’s time to focus on the “Big Event” of the first Christmas. Yes, Christmas lights, trees, and ornaments are so fun. And yes, all of the fun activities surrounding the holiday bring excitement and anticipation into our lives. But, the real joy and beauty of the first Christmas began oh-so quietly. A tiny baby was born to an unwed teenage mom. There was no hospital or birthing suite, but still, the angels sang, the shepherds worshiped, and the world was changed forever.
That first Christmas was about God bringing the greatest gift of all—salvation through His Son— to an unworthy and undeserving people. And for Jesus, although bringing that gift ultimately meant dying on a cross, it still was a gift that brought great joy. (Hebrews 12:2)
Do you want to close out this Christmas season with overflowing joy? Then, follow the model of our God and spend these next few days finding ways for your family to bless others abundantly. Use this season and the remembrance of the birth of Christ to encourage the people in your life. Not just the people you know and love, but those who are mere acquaintances, those who live next door, the barista at your coffee shop, your doctor, dentist, or hairdresser. There is no end to the people whom we could bless through simple gifts of kindness and gentle words filled with the hope we have this Christmas.
Bake cookies, fill Mason jars with homemade soup, sing carols door-to-door, write cards, it doesn’t matter what you do… Just Do It!
Instead of just giving a donation to an unseen ministry, why not grab an angel from the local Angel Tree or choose a needy family from your church or neighborhood and spoil them with some special gifts? Let your children pick out gifts for other children and watch the excitement in their eyes. Add some warm jammies, a read-aloud book, and a gift card for the adults in the family. The more we share with others, the more we’ll understand Acts 20:35, … ’It is better to give than to receive.’
Turn the attention off of “self” in these last few days leading up to Christmas and turn the attention on God and the greatest gift of all… Jesus Christ! When your family’s focus is on bringing joy to others, there won’t be any spare space for tears, grumbling, and misplaced stress!
Megan Scheibner 