I have a tradition (read problem) if you will, and it’s been carrying on now for some time! I blame my mom, she has the same tradition (read problem). Sorry, Mom!
I have a Christmas tree in every room big or small!
There, I said it!
Doesn’t everybody?
The main tree in the family room is color-coded turquoise and silver and is strictly a “show and shine”.
Then there is a “family tree” in the kitchen with all the fun ornaments I’ve given the kids over time as well as the ones they have hand made through the years. (It may be my favorite!)
There’s one in the dining room because.. Duh, and one on the landing upstairs lovingly referred to as the reading tree.
I have a basket of Christmas books that resides underneath and the kids used to sneak out of their rooms and read under the tree until they fell asleep or pick a few books and tiptoe back to their rooms. I don’t think anyone has read there in years but I still put it up because they just might… and someday my grandkids definitely will! Then there must, of course, be a tree, however tiny, in each child’s room. Count them if you will, I think the total is roughly 10!
Traditions can be weird sometimes. They may make sense to us but not always for kids. I want to make sure our traditions seem weighty and make sense to my kids and they’re not left wondering what decorating a tree has to do with Jesus’s birthday! So I would tell them, “We decorate because it’s Jesus’ birthday and we are throwing the biggest birthday party ever for the most important person ever and because He is worthy! There are lights on the house because we want him to know that the party is here and we have “prepared him room” as the song says! And then I talk to them about what it means to prepare Him room, to quiet your soul and invite him into your life, to have his way and show you his plans.
I want there to be joy in every room and the sense of awe and wonder of Christmas at every turn (of the corners of my hallways apparently). Then as we decorate the trees and wrap all the presents, we talk about the miraculous gift that is the birth of Jesus Christ and that we can actually celebrate His presence all year long! That feeling we get during Christmas time, of anticipation and excitement, is Him drawing near to us as we draw near to Him and that too can be found year-round!
There are so many teachable moments to be found with our kids as we prepare for Christmas. Invite them to decorate with you, bake, shop, and wrap with you, all the while talking with them and teaching them not only how but more importantly WHY to truly celebrate and rejoice in this season! It really is the most wonderful time of the year!
Let every heart prepare Him room!
Today as I decorated my “family tree” I declared… “Next year we should decorate a tree with all crosses!”
The family just stared at me like… we know she’ll find a way…for tree number 11 to grace our presence!
My husband said “Baby… no more trees!”… and I said, “Maybe just one more!”
Let the “tradition” continue!
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice
Philippians 4:4
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