It's Christmas time, and my white board in the kitchen has now become a "Countdown to Christmas" board instead of a "helping-me-keep-track-of-my-kids-school-life" board! They have marked the day we had snow in Houston, there are christmas trees and stars adorning it too.
Yes, my kids are excited....super-excited.
In the midst of this, however, I have been racking my brain trying to find ways of bringing their focus off the presents ONLY, and onto more important things. One thing we have decided to do this year, is to make a "present" for Jesus. Each one of us will be making a gift in some form or the other, from our heart. Something we want to give to Jesus to show Him our love and thankfulness for Him. I told the kids we all have to do it on our own, anything we want, and we will wrap it up, and put it under the Christmas tree. Then on Christmas Day we will open Jesus' present first, and tell everyone else what and why we chose to give Him what we did.
I have NO idea, what my kids have decided to do, and look forward to seeing what they choose to give Jesus on Christmas morning. I'm not sure if they even understand what I am trying to get through to them. But I do hope it gets them thinking more about the King of Kings, and a little less about the latest Wii game.
Obviously Kellan has been giving this whole idea some thought though. Because last night during supper, he came up to us and very seriously said, "Mommy, but Jesus is not gonna get a surprise when I show Him my present, because he can see EVERYTHING!!"
Out of the mouth of babes............
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2 comments:
My family always does a "Christmas present for Jesus" too, but a little different. Starting when I was five, so for 22 years now we gather around for the Christmas story, and then we open the little box that is the Christmas present for Jesus. We read what we gave last year, and then go around the circle and everyone says something they want to "give" this year. For the little ones it's something like "be nice to the kids at school" or "obey mom better". For us older folks it'll be things like discipline in personal devotional times, working on pride, etc.. etc. Whatever we feel that God is prompting us to work on - that becomes a gift to Jesus.
The coolest thing is looking back at the gifts that we have usually forgotten through the course of the year. Usually it's quite amazing how God has worked on us in that area over the year! We have every year's list in our little Christmas present to Jesus, and every year it is under the tree again!
That's a lovely idea too, thanks Kacie! I think it's so important to do things like this.
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