This last week, our church gave everyone an advent countdown set that is fantastic. Every day, you move the star over the days leading up to Christmas day. There is a short devotional to read for each day that helps you talk about what it really means to remember what the season is all about. What a great way for families to take the time to talk about Christmas and the birth of Christ.
There are a lot of things that distract us from what’s important, even when it’s not the holiday season. We can get so busy with daily life events. Then add all of the holiday events, tasks, gift buying, and every other detail, making it a CRAZY time. What will you do to keep the real reason for the season front and center in your family?
Today, our family went to see the movie, “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever”. It is about a church that has put on a Christmas pageant for the last 75 years. It was the same pageant every year without any changes. Over the years, the tradition, the way they did it, became what was important. The message of the pageant was lost. The reason the pageant even existed was overshadowed by the tradition of the event itself. One person fought to preserve the message of the pageant in the face of all of the religious onlookers. The result was life-changing, not only in the church, but in the theater as we watched it!
The point is, even while doing Christmas-y things – especially while doing Christmas-y things, the message of the season can be completely lost. So what are you going to do to make sure your family is keeping the main thing, the main thing? How are you keeping the message of the season at the forefront of your life and the lives of your family? It is a good question to ponder and focus on over the next few weeks.
