I have a confession: My name is Jennifer Walker and my Christmas trees are still up. The mantles are still decorated and the wreathes are still on the doors. This has been the strangest Christmas season by far. The kids were scattered. I was recovering. The gifts didn’t get wrapped until moments before they were opened. Most of our advent names of Jesus ornaments never made it out of the bowl. In fact, the display is still sitting in the middle of our kitchen table.
It was the strangest advent yet. I’m just really glad that I wrote the Christmas book last year when we actually had time to do the things I wrote about.… Ha ha.
My eyes were opened a little this Christmas season. Though I wanted to make new memories and continue the special traditions we’ve had for years, what I wanted didn’t always pan out. It was more of a “Grab and “Go” advent for our family this year – A drive-by-fast-food-style-choose-what-you-can-and-be-grateful-for-it rather then the slower family dinner style Spiritual focus that I envisioned.
Through this, I learned something that will be valuable to me {and I hope to my readers} in the future. Want to know what it is?
We can celebrate Advent and focus on Jesus Christ within whatever time it is that we have. If we only have time for a drive through style devotion with our families, and if we do that, then at least we’ve done something. And something is always better than nothing. {I learned that from the Fly Lady. ;)}
If /when I rewrite Keeping Christ as Christmas, I will definitely add a new chapter called “Grab and Go Advent.” In that chapter, I hope to share ways to release the family from the guilt of being unable to sit down every night and have deep spiritual discussions. I know that guilt – I’ve had it myself this year. What was easy to do when the children were younger wasn’t so easy this year. Though it saddens me that we could not do ALL of our traditional devotional activities this year, it forced me to find ways to slip in reminders of Jesus and truths of Advent into our everyday conversations and interactions with the family.
Actually, this is what Deuteronomy talks about in Deut. 11:18-19.
“So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.” (NLT)
In a busy household, I’m learning that its not so much the length of time you have, but its being intentional with the time and space you DO have with your family – or with yourself and your own time & space of mind, for that matter.
So… since our Christmas decorations are still up, I’m still pondering this past Christmas season and thinking toward next Christmas. I was taken by surprise this year, but I’ll be better prepared next year. And I’ll be sharing with you what God is teaching me for this next stage of life – the “Grab and Go Advent Stage,” in this grab & go season of family life.
I know that many of you have already been there & done that & I sure would love any advice you care to spare.
What did you do throughout the busy teen years to provide Spiritual food for your household?
If you don’t mind, I’ll share your ideas in a future blog post, and hang on to them for my own little Walker clan. Thanks, my friends! 🙂
