Keeping the Wonder
Updated: May 19
A blogger friend asked if I'd like to participant in a Christmas 'chain' blog. Today, I post mine. Tomorrow, I'll be back to add some links at the end of this blog to others who have written on the topic of Christmas. Without further ado, I'd like to share my thoughts on Christmas.
We have a family tradition of opening one present Christmas Eve night. It began as a compromise because my grandparents liked to open all their presents Christmas Eve, and my parents wanted to wait until Christmas morning. Of course, my sisters and I had no complaints about opening one present a day early!
After a few years, I learned picking the biggest, best present to open a day early stole much of the joy from Christmas Day. Leftover, smaller presents for the 25th wasn't nearly as fun. So, I started looking for the little gifts on the 24th. Something I thought might be fun but wasn't the gift I most longed to open. That made Christmas Eve just as much fun as Christmas Day as we dug through all the presents looking for the perfect choice.
I've kept this tradition for my children. My five-year-old will most likely not understand the concept of saving the best gift for a few more hours. However, my 12-year-old has for the last several years. I don't dictate what gift they can open, but my oldest soon realized opening his best present early stole so much joy from Christmas Day. He now looks for the smaller gifts.
As I contemplated the reason for our choice, something else sprang to mind.
What am I doing to protect the wonder of the greatest Gift ever given?
We hear the Christmas story several times during this season of celebration. It is special, but if we're not careful, it will get lost in a sea of other stories. Filed away in our children's minds alongside Santa. Or lost in our own minds as that story we've heard a thousand times.
How do we keep the wonder of Jesus alive? To set Him apart?
We ought to be zealously guarding the preciousness of Jesus's birth, but He can't be boxed away. One cannot appreciate what they do not see and know. We must put Him on full display and look for ways to keep the wonder of Him alive.
What are you doing this season to keep the wonder of Christmas alive?
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Would you like to read more? Click any of the links below to be taken to other blogs on Christmas.
Tis the Christmas episode season by Nola Passmore
Unto us a child is born by Steph Penny
What does Christmas represent for me by Virginia Wright (might be experiencing some technical issues)
God’s presence in the ordinary by Susan Barnes
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