My Christmas Epiphany

Nathan and I have been reading through an Advent devotional that Denver Seminary sends out every year. It's been preparing our minds for December 25th, the day that represents Christ's birth. The greatest gift that Nathan and I have ever received.

What I read today changed me and in turn I shared it with Nathan. Might I share it with you?

"First, our celebration reflects Christ when it minimizes self-enjoyment. In our culture, Christmas has becomes synonymous with materialistic self-indulgence. Our Christmas is joyous if our wants are satisfied and our desires gratified. In stark contract, self-enjoyment was not the dominant characteristic of our Savior's life. Self-denial was! His coming to our world and dwelling with us were acts of self-renunciation. We honor Him in celebration when we resist the pull of self-indulgence.

Second, a Christian that resembles Christ maximizes self-abasement. The coming of Christ to the earth was a costly journey. It involved self-demotion and self-condescension. His birth and life were marked be self-giving. What have we given up as we remember him?

Third, a Christ-like Christmas observance emphasizes the enhancement of others. Christmas has to do with the great exchange-a transaction carried out in our favor and Christ's disfavor! He, rich became poor, so that we, poor, may become rich! Who are we blessing by our celebration?"

Dr. Dieumeme Noelliste

I was convicted and in turn Nathan and I talked about how we want to be intentional as a family from this Christmas forward. So, a commitment has been made that we make public now. From this day forward we commit as a family to be all about giving on this day and never about receiving. We will not give family members wish-lists nor will we be asking our children what they want for Christmas. We will be asking them "what do you want to give?". WIth our children we will limit our gift giving to three gifts which reflect the number of the Magai's gifts - an Ornament for their future family's tree, a book that has some sort of significance to us that we would like to share with them and lastly a toy or other item that we as their parents decide to bless them with. Of course, as we continue to get to know them better the better we'll know what gift is best without them having to tell us. We also want to make every effort each year to give to others that can not give in return. Every year we'll pray that God will make it evident to us who those people are.

This might seem so simple yet to me it's profound. Christmas was always about a wish list, Santa, what I was getting, etc. and every day this month I've been praying that God would reveal to our family what traditions he would like us to set in honor of him. Today, it was answered. He is faithful.

You may think it's silly that I blogged this commitment to the public but for me, when I say something out loud for others to hear, I feel accountable. It puts in me this ability to never look back and to only step forward.

Thanks for listening!

Merry Christmas friends and family! You are dear to us!

-The Jones