Each year, with the approach of Christmas, I find myself fighting a case of the "Scroogeys".
Why can't I enjoy Christmas like I did when I was young? I wonder.
This year, I promised myself that I wouldn't even go there. I would be intentional about what I choose to do with my time and not allow holiday obligations to bog me down. But it was only after reading a blog post by my husband that I was able to put my finger on the cause of my Scroogey-ness:
Why can't I enjoy Christmas like I did when I was young? I wonder.
This year, I promised myself that I wouldn't even go there. I would be intentional about what I choose to do with my time and not allow holiday obligations to bog me down. But it was only after reading a blog post by my husband that I was able to put my finger on the cause of my Scroogey-ness:
The anticipation is gone.
I'm the one wrapping the presents. Baking the cookies. Cooking the meals. Planning the outings. While my kids are excited about eating the cookies. Playing with the gifts. Drinking the eggnog. Sleeping under the Christmas tree.
But this year, there was one thing I had to wait for, just like my kids. Because we don't have Netflix or cable, we had to borrow "A Charlie Brown Christmas" from the library. I was nearly giddy as we gathered around our television set to watch it. It brought back childhood memories of waiting all year long for the special to come on television.
But this year, there was one thing I had to wait for, just like my kids. Because we don't have Netflix or cable, we had to borrow "A Charlie Brown Christmas" from the library. I was nearly giddy as we gathered around our television set to watch it. It brought back childhood memories of waiting all year long for the special to come on television.
My husband took note of this and used it as a springboard for a letter to parents.
Last night my family sat down to watch… he begins.
He goes on to discuss how the perks of being an adult can actually take away the joy of Christmas, because the anticipation that a child experiences due to his/her lack of control is what makes the time so special. But there is something that adults can anticipate, if we only remember. And it's something far more significant than opening presents and drinking eggnog.
The Jews were unable to know exactly when [the Messiah] would come and they were powerless to hasten God's timing. Through the prophets, Yahweh gave some clues about the Son of David, but with each successive captivity or conquest, God's people held on to the growing anticipation of a coming rescuer… In a post-incarnation universe, we can rejoice that we still have an unfulfilled expectation: the return of Christ in majesty…
My husband finishes by encouraging us to truly live with that sense of anticipation.
How can "the things of this world grow strangely dim" if we become satisfied with our ability to create and shape our own, individual experience? How can we "store up treasures in heaven" when our capacity for self-fulfillment is unimpeded by a world-system that is more than happy to cater to us?
Let's cultivate (and teach our kids) the discipline of Anticipation. As a family, discuss some things you can do differently to learn how to treasure what we receive from God.
So I leave you with that today. If you are fighting the "Scroogeys" yourself, meditate on the anticipation of Christ. Remove obstacles that keep you from experiencing that joy (clear your schedule, take a break from technology, or volunteer somewhere). Reevaluate your level of dependency on God and your gratefulness to Him for all He's given you.
(And if you would like to read the full article written by my husband, click on this link:
Cultivating Anticipation)
Last night my family sat down to watch… he begins.
He goes on to discuss how the perks of being an adult can actually take away the joy of Christmas, because the anticipation that a child experiences due to his/her lack of control is what makes the time so special. But there is something that adults can anticipate, if we only remember. And it's something far more significant than opening presents and drinking eggnog.
The Jews were unable to know exactly when [the Messiah] would come and they were powerless to hasten God's timing. Through the prophets, Yahweh gave some clues about the Son of David, but with each successive captivity or conquest, God's people held on to the growing anticipation of a coming rescuer… In a post-incarnation universe, we can rejoice that we still have an unfulfilled expectation: the return of Christ in majesty…
My husband finishes by encouraging us to truly live with that sense of anticipation.
How can "the things of this world grow strangely dim" if we become satisfied with our ability to create and shape our own, individual experience? How can we "store up treasures in heaven" when our capacity for self-fulfillment is unimpeded by a world-system that is more than happy to cater to us?
Let's cultivate (and teach our kids) the discipline of Anticipation. As a family, discuss some things you can do differently to learn how to treasure what we receive from God.
So I leave you with that today. If you are fighting the "Scroogeys" yourself, meditate on the anticipation of Christ. Remove obstacles that keep you from experiencing that joy (clear your schedule, take a break from technology, or volunteer somewhere). Reevaluate your level of dependency on God and your gratefulness to Him for all He's given you.
(And if you would like to read the full article written by my husband, click on this link:
Cultivating Anticipation)
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