This Christmas, Brandon and I decided to simplify and scale back on our normal gift giving and holiday activities. We want to focus on giving to those with less than us instead of loading down our already blessed family with more stuff that we don't need.Every year I look forward to Christmas, and the meaning quickly gets lost in the stress--oh the stress! Self-imposed stress, triggered by a compulsion I have to decorate my house and tree and car (ok maybe not the car part) and bake and buy and wrap and dress everyone in beautiful clothing. These are all things I love! I enjoy baking and dipping lots of sweet goodies and making my house look festive and shopping for fun toys and wrapping beautiful packages of things that I will have forgotten a year from now. But after many years of doing these things, I am realizing that these activities, if they don't draw us closer to Jesus and to each other, are crap! Totally meaningless time-filling, pound-gaining, self-centered, empty fluff. It's pretty much like stuffing myself with the marshmallows love so dearly but don't help me out too much.
So, as much as is possible in our crazy suburban life, we are trying to scale back. This year I only made two kinds of treats instead of 17. I got my shopping done early, which is a first, partly because our shopping budget was much smaller, and Brandon and I are only giving each other stocking stuffers. The kids are getting 2 gifts apiece and we also did simple or no gifts for family members and friends. We have continually reminded the kids what we are celebrating and talked about giving. Asher took his full piggy bank to Living Water so kids could have clean water.
I must admit all of this was tough at first. It has been hard not to just focus on what we're cutting out or even be prideful that we are doing so good with what we have. It's also been amazing because I actually have a little time to reflect and enjoy my husband and kids. I still struggle keeping my eyes on the Lord and will until the day I die. But hopefully every little change we make will draw us a little nearer to our Savior.
Tonight as we go to our Christmas Eve service, I hope and pray that we are all freed up to really feel God's presence.
