It's September and I'm already thinking about Christmas. I've talked a lot on here about how life changing this past year was for both of us. God opened our hearts to the idea of adoption and we became aware of poverty in the world. I think we always knew poverty existed, but we never really lived our lives like we cared. We knew Christmas for us this year would be different, but our heads have been full of confusion on what that would look like for us. Caroline has already asked me if Santa was real and my response was "What do you think Caroline?" She immediately responded with "No." And that was that. There was no major disappointment either. It warmed my heart a bit to know she really didn't care that much and frankly I think she thinks he is weird anyway. She then proceeded to tell me that she thinks the tooth fairy is real though (I wonder if it's because she knows she will get money?:)
There is nothing more in this world we want for our kids than to grow up with an awareness of poverty and a deep desire to care for the poor. The Bible contains more than 300 verses on the poor and social justice. We often forget about poverty and oppression and it is obvious God has a deep concern for this. Are we taking the Bible seriously? American churches have departed *strongly* from these Biblical truths. The bottom line is that spiritual growth doesn't come from what is easy or what we "like" to hear and read. It comes from what is different and even difficult.
Keeping these things in mind and bearing in mind that there are children that walk in Africa for 2 miles to try and find water, that may not even be clean, how can we do Christmas differently this year?
Watch this quick video.
*Update #1...I found this verse that I really like- "Once our eyes are opened we cannot pretend we do not know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls knows we know and holds us responsible to act." Proverbs 24:12
**Update #2...Keith says that Santa reads this and I'm getting ashes and switches for Christmas this year. I love my funny husband!
1 comment:
we don't do santa either mainly because i see it as a distraction from celebrating the birth of christ, but also because i feel like christmas has become so worldly and materialistic.
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