Si & Christmas Held Hostage

Theory: Si flies back home, we continue our advent calendar with tidings and comfort of joy. 

Reality: Hostages and ransom notes!

Have you noticed that Si hasn't come back from WV yet?! We didn't want to alarm anyone since Si has a habit of doing his own thing but...

As a Christian mom, the Christmas season has morphed into an "What Would Jesus Do?" boot camp. It sounds silly but any of us can get caught up in it. (Even during other holidays) We become anti-Santa, avoid talking about wish lists and instead we talk bearing gifts and traversing afar (these things aren't bad in themselves). We miss the point sometimes. We should be no more focused on Christ during Christmas than we are the rest of the year! Then we I do crazy things like hold Christmas hostage.

Christ should be everyday!  Every heart should prepare him room! 

I heard a joke about chreastions...Christians who show up on Easter and Christmas. But why? Why are these holidays so much more important than every other day? Why do we feel the need to chastise our children during these seasons so that we ensure they don't become commercialized? Aren't we teaching them to come and adore him every day?

The fact is, if we are living Gods word everyday, we won't have to worry about our kids buying into the commercialism. Santa will be a mere decoration, Santa won't have their hearts-Jesus will! They won't be asking what child is his?

After spending all night on an advent calendar, "knowing" that this was going to change little  hearts in my home...a ransom note showed up."If you don't share these bags with your brother..." Christmas is held hostage!

Two days later, on a not so silent night, two of my boys were wrestling over an ornament from the advent calendar, I started pulling the calendar down. Irrationality, frustration, lack of patience- my flesh had set in! 

Momma (dad), have you been there? 

The thing that was going to teach about the author of mercy, patience (long-suffering) and LOVE; I was tearing down because I had no patience, no mercy, no love.....ouch! Spirits were not being made bright!

Fortunately my boys had learned about Gods mercy and forgiveness and easily extended it to me!

I realized in that moment, that it was not these papers, it was not this season, it was not a specific activity that was going to teach my boys. It was the Holy Spirit and his working through me (and other people/things), that would make the difference. 

My boys won't know God because we amp up learning during Christmas, they won't learn to share by holding Christmas hostage, they will learn who God is everyday by my actions, words and watching the Holy Spirit at work.

I have to ask my boys for forgiveness a lot, and that teaches them about Christ. I am sooo thankful that even in my mistakes, God can use them to build his kingdom up...starting with my boys.

Have you been there?

Disclaimer: Advent calendars are wonderful, focusing on Christ and serving others during the Christmas season is great...the post was merely to point out that it shouldn't end there :)

Deuteronomy 6:6-9

⁶ These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.⁸ Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.⁹ Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.