Advent

This is the 2nd year we’ve done something for Advent.  Last year, Kiera had the typical “tear a link off a paper chain every day,” but she didn’t really understand what it was all about.  This year, I decided I wanted to do something more purposeful.  When I heard that Kiera’s school has a box to collect food for people in need, I felt that God wanted us to give to that.  So, every day I send a food item along with Kiera and she knows that it “goes in the box for the poor people” as she says it.  Instead of having a calendar where she gets a chocolate every day (and there is nothing wrong with that), we give something every day.  I hesitated to share this because the Bible talks about giving in secret, but I prayed about it and I checked my heart’s motives and I simply felt that God wants me to encourage others to make the days leading up to Christmas meaningful, in whatever way He’s leading you and your family.  It’s not about me, it’s about Him.  Also, whoever receives the food won’t know it’s from us and that’s good!  One of my friends is doing the Focus On The Family advent thing and I looked at it yesterday and it’s great! 

Yesterday in the van, Kiera said, “I want a doll for Christmas.  Can I have a doll?”  It actually made me sad because it’s the first time that she has understood the whole “I get presents at Christmas and I want this or that.”  It’s not wrong to want things or give each other gifts, but I want to be so careful not to get caught up in the whole materialism in our culture, which is a constant battle.  Of course it’s fun to receive gifts and I very much enjoy the gift exchange we have every year with Jared’s family.  There is nothing wrong with that.  With some family members, their top love language is gifts, so it really makes them feel especially loved.  I feel very blessed, too, when I receive gifts given in love.  I really want to emphasize the giving part of it to my kids, so I told Kiera yesterday that it is better to give than to receive and I told her that when we give, we store up treasure in heaven.  Of course, she didn’t understand that, but I will keep talking about that and trying to explain it in a way that she will get it.

One of my family members said that they didn’t want us to buy them anything and to instead take the money we would spend on them and give it to someone in need.  I love that!  Every year, I look forward to getting the World Vision catalogue and picking a couple of things out of there.  I hope to get my kids involved this year and they can help pick something from there.  I want to bless our families this year but also bless people who can’t give back.  It feels so good and that is one way we can give gifts to Jesus!  I think of how God gave us His Son and how Jesus gave his life for us and my gifts feel so small, but I just want to do what God is calling me to do and I know that He can use any gift, big or small.  May we all be a blessing to those around us and glorify Jesus in all that we do!