Remember to celebrate the joy of Christmas

The past few years, I have struggled with Christmas traditions. How does one make anything lasting when nothing ever stays the same? One joyful year, I had a brand new December baby, and all travel was placed on hold. The next, I didn’t even want to decorate, since I wasn’t going to be home to enjoy it. Then, my mom died on Christmas Day. It was all I could do to keep a smile pasted on as my kids opened the presents just down the hall from where my mom was spending her last few hours on Earth.
It certainly put perspective on the gift giving: Would all this stuff mean anything if I knew I wasn’t long for this world?
It is with these thoughts that I enter yet another Christmas “season.” I continue to wrestle with how to make it special. I know there is no guarantee of another Christmas for any of us. So, as changes greet us each year, how can I make memories and traditions that are lasting? Here are a few of my conclusions, and lessons I hope to impart to my children:
Christmas is about Jesus.
It’s not all about the decorations, the cookies, the cards, the family gatherings and the presents that I stress so much about. The purpose is to celebrate the birth of Jesus — God's amazing gift to us. Even if I had none of the fun trimmings I have come to expect at Christmas, I still would have much to celebrate. No matter what changes in my circumstances, or who is there to celebrate, this day reminds me that God’s love is constant.
It isn’t about presents.
I want my children to realize that Christmas is about God’s gift of salvation to us, and nothing we could ever give God would equal that great gift. All God desires in return is our love. On Christmas morning, we remind our kids that we are giving gifts as a demonstration of love for one another. It is a reminder of a gift from God that we cannot open, but is far more valuable than those placed under the tree. To keep ourselves from going overboard on all the presents, we set a guideline to give the kids three gifts, similar to how the Wise Men brought three gifts to Jesus.
St. Nicholas blessed others.
We play along with some of the Santa fun, because St. Nicholas is a reminder of how the actions of one person can bring such joy to others. To help promote that concept, we spend much of December looking for ways to bless others, and show them the love of Jesus. We talk about how it feels better to give than to receive. If my son asks if Santa is real, I plan to sit him down and talk about finding the hope and joy in the majesty of God, rather than the pretend magic of Santa. I will remind him that God is real. God sees him when he is sleeping, and knows when he’s awake. Only God knows his thoughts, and only God is his judge.
My kids are not good.
This is the time of year that so many parents tell their kids to behave, or Santa won’t bring them presents. It makes me sad, because that is in direct contrast to the concept of grace. I want my kids to be able to admit they make mistakes, just like I do. We can’t be nice all the time. Every day, we think things, say things and do things that land us on the naughty list. That’s why we need Jesus so badly. We can never be good enough to reach that standard of God’s perfection. By admitting we fall short, and believing in God’s son, our list of wrongs is wiped clean. We are guaranteed his love and forgiveness.
There is always joy.
I want to experience joy on Christmas no matter what happens, who is there, what presents are exchanged, where we travel and how the food tastes. My prayer is that I can let go of the expectations, do my best and then focus on the message that the angel Gabriel delivered: “I bring you good news of great joy!”