Lights are popping up all over neighborhoods, Christmas trees are starting to shine through front windows, Christmas music is playing in some retail spaces, yes, Christmas is erupting all around us.
In my family, we are trying to figure out the Christmas plans. I am sure you can relate. Between juggling schedules, juggling families and trying to peak interest into even discussing what we are going to do, it is always a bit of a process.
I was shocked when one of my children said, that our family was so dysfunctional that it is kind of hard to want to be around and they would not mind doing away with Christmas. Wow – quite the statement.
It got me thinking, I remember one Christmas when my kids were really little and we packed them up, bundled everything up and took all the gifts and drove four hours through a snow storm to my parents place for Christmas. It had seemed like such a hassle, it was so much work for the short time we were going to be there, and you had to juggle schedules and try to fit in visits with everyone and it just really did not seem worth it. But upon arrival at my parents’ house when my mom grabbed me and just held me and said, “My Christmas just walked through the door.” Her words have stuck with me forever.
You know, as much as we might be a dysfunctional family, that is okay with me, because I really do not know too many functional families or normal families. I just saw today a new series on Right Now Media with Andy Stanley entitled “Jesus had weird relatives too” – so I think we are in good company and we are okay! Oh, yes it is a hassle to figure out whose house we will be at, what food are we going to be eating or are we drawing names, or setting a limit on prices. I hope my kids know that all I want for Christmas is them.
Three years ago I almost died at Christmas time, I had stitches from a major surgery burst open and I almost bled to death. We spent Christmas together as a family in my little hospital room, I think the 27th of December. It did not matter the date, it did not matter the gifts, I sat in that hospital bed and I was so thankful for my children. They were my Christmas, they were my gift – and they are still all I want for Christmas.
I do not care if we do a big dinner or not. I want to sit and enjoy them, I want them to share with me, to talk to me, and it kind of struck me that that is what my heavenly Father wants too.
He does not want me to come to Him asking for things all the time like a big blessing machine. He does not want me worrying about our “preparations” – like the famous Martha from the Bible, she was worried about many things. He does not want me to come making demands and being so harried from preparing to enjoy our time together. Just like me, He wants to be with His kids.
I know that my heavenly Father would go to the ends of the earth for me because He already has. I hope my kids know that I would go to the moon and back for them, because really they are all I want for Christmas.