Most years, I LOVE the holidays. I like to cook Thanksgiving dinner and have everyone over at my house. I love decorating the tree and doing our Christmas traditions with the kids. I usually always send out Christmas cards and prepare for Christmas day all of December. This year, it just wasn't there. I was avoiding the holiday season like the plague. All I could think about was trying to afford all the Christmas gifts for my kids on our salary or disappointing/upsetting someone when we chose when/where we were spending Christmas. I spend most of my days very tired and all the extra work did not sound fun to me this year. My idea of a good Christmas, was my warm bed and a good book. I basically had turned into a Grinch. Well, obviously God had other plans for me.
It began with a Christmas concert Jeremy and I had bought tickets to about 2 months before. It was a Chris Tomlin concert with Christy Nockels and Louie Giglio (sp?) was speaking. We almost didn't make the concert, Caroline came home from school that day with strep. The music was wonderful and it helped me remember how much I love teaching my children all of the Christmas carols. Then Louie stood up and spoke. He basically hit home. He spoke of the true meaning of Christmas in a way I had never heard it presented. He spoke about the verse in Luke that talks about God's word becoming flesh. I immediately felt humble, realizing how many things I should be grateful far and how my complaints had little to do with the actual meaning of Christmas. I went home from that concert with a more open feeling about Christmas and a desire to make sure my kids understood the true meaning.
To be honest, I would have been good with just that kind of reminder, but there was more. A few days later, I find out that an internet buddy, with whom I had met while pregnant with Thatcher, little boy (who is the same age as Thatch) was diganosed with leukemia. Now, I am watching through Facebook this family battle this news so bravely. They seem to be taking it all in stride and all I could feel at first was guilt. My problems with Christmas seemed to be so insignificant now.
The last thing that happened was so heart wrenching that I still tear up thinking about it. I grew up with a couple who were not family by blood but helped my mother raise me. Pud and JC were like a second set of parents for me and I always knew that they love me like one of thier own. Because we were so close to Pud and JC, we were also close to thier relatives. Last Saturday, Pud's brother Pat was in a hunting accident. Pat was not injured but he accidentally shot his 42 yr old son, Kyle. Kyle died leaving a wife and 2 sons.
All of these events, have affected me in so many ways but most of all I am no longer a Grinch. I look around my house, with the Christmas tree and stockings hung from my fireplace, and I have so many things to be grateful for. I have a husband who is so wonderful and loves me unconditionally. I have five healthy, sweet, beautiful children who think I am the greatest mom in the world. But most of all, I have a God that sent his only Son as an infant into a world full of sin. This Son, Jesus, gave his life as the ultimate sacrifice for my sins, so that I could live an eternity with God.
Life is too short for us to spend the holiday stressing about buying the "perfect" gifts, what parties to go too or how much we will get from everyone. We should spend our holidays, enjoying family traditions, making strangers smile and most of all spreading the love that Christ brought to earth for all of us.
So from my family to yours
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
It began with a Christmas concert Jeremy and I had bought tickets to about 2 months before. It was a Chris Tomlin concert with Christy Nockels and Louie Giglio (sp?) was speaking. We almost didn't make the concert, Caroline came home from school that day with strep. The music was wonderful and it helped me remember how much I love teaching my children all of the Christmas carols. Then Louie stood up and spoke. He basically hit home. He spoke of the true meaning of Christmas in a way I had never heard it presented. He spoke about the verse in Luke that talks about God's word becoming flesh. I immediately felt humble, realizing how many things I should be grateful far and how my complaints had little to do with the actual meaning of Christmas. I went home from that concert with a more open feeling about Christmas and a desire to make sure my kids understood the true meaning.
To be honest, I would have been good with just that kind of reminder, but there was more. A few days later, I find out that an internet buddy, with whom I had met while pregnant with Thatcher, little boy (who is the same age as Thatch) was diganosed with leukemia. Now, I am watching through Facebook this family battle this news so bravely. They seem to be taking it all in stride and all I could feel at first was guilt. My problems with Christmas seemed to be so insignificant now.
The last thing that happened was so heart wrenching that I still tear up thinking about it. I grew up with a couple who were not family by blood but helped my mother raise me. Pud and JC were like a second set of parents for me and I always knew that they love me like one of thier own. Because we were so close to Pud and JC, we were also close to thier relatives. Last Saturday, Pud's brother Pat was in a hunting accident. Pat was not injured but he accidentally shot his 42 yr old son, Kyle. Kyle died leaving a wife and 2 sons.
All of these events, have affected me in so many ways but most of all I am no longer a Grinch. I look around my house, with the Christmas tree and stockings hung from my fireplace, and I have so many things to be grateful for. I have a husband who is so wonderful and loves me unconditionally. I have five healthy, sweet, beautiful children who think I am the greatest mom in the world. But most of all, I have a God that sent his only Son as an infant into a world full of sin. This Son, Jesus, gave his life as the ultimate sacrifice for my sins, so that I could live an eternity with God.
Life is too short for us to spend the holiday stressing about buying the "perfect" gifts, what parties to go too or how much we will get from everyone. We should spend our holidays, enjoying family traditions, making strangers smile and most of all spreading the love that Christ brought to earth for all of us.
So from my family to yours
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Oh my goodness. What a month for you! Louie Giglio is wonderful, isn't he? I just love listening to him.
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