Making Christmas Meaningful for Busy Families

If you are like me, the days and weeks leading up to Christmas can be some of the busiest of the entire year. The demands of daily life do not decrease even with the increase in the, albeit joyous, demands that this time of year brings.

Preparing gifts, writing cards, baking cookies to deliver to neighbors, selecting Christmas attire for my kids, and hosting and attending parties are just a few of things I need to do this week in addition to my everyday responsibilities. I am certain I am not alone. With this reality, it may seem impossible to quiet our hearts for reflection, but it does not have to feel like another task on our to-do list! Here some ways to incorporate reflection in your Christmas celebration.

Celebrate the Gift of the Holy Spirit  

". . . the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also."  Acts 10:45

As we celebrate His coming so long ago, may we also celebrate His presence in our lives today! We have been blessed with the gift of His presence wherever we are. What a wonderful time of year to keep in step with Him and attune to what He might be speaking to our hearts. Just yesterday, when listening to Christmas carols, my heart was filled with thoughts of God’s goodness.

I couldn’t help but reflect on how He has been good through the ups and downs of life. I did not plan to have these thoughts, but believe me, it was just the reminder I needed! May we give attention to how His Spirit is guiding our thoughts and may He direct our steps toward Him as we move into what He has for us this season.

Gratitude

Thankfulness is not limited to Thanksgiving! Like many families, we go around the table at Thanksgiving and share what we are thankful for. Why not do this again at Christmas? Re-frame the question in a way that fosters meaningful advent reflection: “What good gifts (James 1:17) do you want to thank God for this Christmas?”  "How can you reflect God's faithfulness to someone this week? Praise God for sending His promised Savior and thank Him for not leaving us without a loving Shepherd. 

Structured and unstructured reflection

Some may prefer more structured ways of thinking such as an advent reading plan or reading the birth narrative in the Luke 2. This can be a very helpful and insightful practice, but for those like me that struggle to find time for this, may we embrace the times of unstructured reflection as well.

Each night when putting our kids to bed, they want us to sing to them. Neither my husband nor I were blessed with musical talent, but we sing from our hearts! In this season, we have used this time to sing Christmas carols, and often the sentiment of these songs in the quietness of their bedroom, usher in thoughts of reflection on this season and the seasons of life already behind us. 

These times of reflection serve as points of refreshment and re-connection to the Lord. May this Christmas season bring special moments of meaningful reflection of God's constant presence, goodness, and faithfulness as we draw near to Him in our celebrations.