I love Christmas. I
love the fact that it is the one time of the year that everyone seems to slow
down and focus more on what matters the most.
Be it faith, family, or just a more general focus on love, Christmas
time seems to be the time that the whole world focuses in on the good and not
always the bad of life. Then the reality
of excited kiddos and the “ME” syndrome hit our home and I wasn’t happy. So I
knew we needed to change the focus in our home to Christ. Our new tradition of preparing the manager
for Christ was born.
I can’t take credit for this idea. I actually read it in a book that was given
to me several years ago from a precious friend and veteran homeschooling Mama
of seven! The book had been her mother’s
and knowing my love of Christmas and Christmas books she graciously passed the
book onto me. It was in this collection
of short Christmas story’s that I first read the idea of preparing our hearts
and home for the coming of Christ by serving others. It was from this story my new all time
favorite Christmas tradition was born.
Sitting underneath our Christmas tree in the middle of all the
presents is a baby cradle. Our family
goal is to fill the cradle with enough straw to make a comfortable bed for the
upcoming arrival of baby Jesus, our Savior on His birthday and the reason our
family celebrates Christmas. Preparing the cradle takes effort, service, and love
on our parts. Best of all it is all done
anonymously so no one knows who is doing what to serve.
Every Monday we draw names out of a hat to see who we will be
serving the upcoming week. The only rule
we have is that you can’t draw your own name.
How you choose to serve your person is entirely up to you. I know that the first week I never had to ask
for the trash to be gathered up. It was
done. This past week I needed the
freezer defrosted and the boys working together did it to serve me (I think
that one of them had my name, but I’m not sure which one.). Every evening our bed is filled with a little
bit more straw. More than that, I have
noticed a difference in the children and our entire family. Instead of squabbles continuing, they are
looking for ways to make the other person smile and laugh. Instead of demands being made about “ME”,
there are questions being asked on how to serve. There has been more laughter. There has been more serving hearts. Most of all, I think that there has been more
love shown in our home all because of simple acts of service, deliberately purposing
to prepare our hearts and our home for the coming of the Baby Jesus.
Drawing names, John Robert let us use his hat.
Not too bad for the end of our first week. As we get closer and closer to Christmas our bed is being prepared nicely.
The children giggle and
smile as they do chores, knowing that what we do for the “least” we are doing
for Christ and that we are working for Him in all things and areas of our
lives. There is laughter, smiles, and
silly notes left on beds. Clothes are
magically put away. Bathrooms are
cleaned. Even Mama’s dreaded laundry is
being thrown into the washer or dyer for her.
Coffee is prepped in the morning.
All because our family is looking for ways to show love and prepare ourselves
for Christmas morning.
I think that this is my new favorite Christmas tradition. This simple “game” is helping us to focus on
others more than ourselves. It is
changing our home this Christmas season.
Christ is being welcomed into our home; we are actively preparing
ourselves for Him. After all, He is the
best gift we have ever gotten, period.
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