A Saturday Evening Post

When we had Christmas holidays in Ukraine, we bought super glue along with the Christmas toys. You could set the clock by it. Five minutes after the toys were opened and kids were playing with their new toys, someone’s toy broke and that usually meant Andrew went into phase two of our Christmas morning; fixing toys. The ridiculous thing is that we bought more toys and more  super glue every year. They say insanity is doing the same thing expecting different results. We did the same thing and knew we would be spending Christmas morning consoling tearful children fixing broken toys and cleaning up the mess. Why?

           Here in the States, with the higher cost of everything, we have scaled back our gift purchases this year. But the holidays are pretty much the same, we spend a lot of money, make a big mess, eat too much food, and then we will scold ourselves till next year. Why do we keep doing this?

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

For me, this is the reason why. I want my kids to grow up with happy memories, family, fun. My kids will grow up and do the same thing to themselves, and their own families and they will probably also wonder why. I stopped beating myself up for being materialistic a long time ago. Be materialistic, have a blast shopping with the kids, they love thinking about what their siblings would like for Christmas. They look forward to the joy on their siblings faces when they open their gifts. Yes, the toys will be carried out the back door in a body bag by New Year’s, but memories were made, relationships were drawn closer while you sat on the floor gluing cheap toys back together.

We have too much sugar, stay up too late, sleep in the morning, play in the snow and we have a blast.

One thing we always do before we tear into our gifts, is my dad reads Luke Chapter 2

“In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria.  And all went to be registered, each to his own town.  And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,  to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.  And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.   And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”

The story has been analyzed over and over. Scholars have studied every possible angle of that fateful night. But the only story of Jesus birth your kids will really know, is the one you show them, by the way you live. Honor his birth in the gifts you give, honor him by the life you live. Not just on Christmas morning, but every morning. He is the reason for the season, so make the Prince of Peace a part of every day and every season. Your kids will know how they should raise their own children if you set the pattern for them.