Sometimes I find it difficult to maintain the spirit of joy and happiness that comes around the Christmas season. My family has been experiencing financial difficulties due to some poor decisions from years past. It’s looking like Christmas this year will be a very small celebration.
Don’t get me wrong; we’ll still be able to eat dinner and we’ll still have a roof over our heads. However, as a parent, it hurts when you can’t provide a magical experience. We’ve already been speaking with our kids about our situation and their wish lists this year consist mainly of food items they especially enjoy.
Maybe this year their gift to us is more than something material. Maybe they feel our pain and are trying to ease our suffering, even though it’s not what they truly want. God has truly blessed us with wonderful children.
If you’re struggling with finances leading up to this Christmas season, please know you’re not alone. If you can’t give any gifts from a store, you can still give the gift of love and memories. Until I started writing this post, I wasn’t even thinking of the grace our kids were showing to us while preparing their lists.
This grace from our children is a reminder of the greatest grace that anyone’s ever given; when Jesus was gifted to the Earth, it was the greatest gift of grace that anyone could ever give. I can’t help but be thankful for the grace shown by our kids and even more, the grace shown by our savior.
Ultimately, the feeling of knowing grace is the eternal spirit of Christmas. Once that falls into perspective, it helps to remove the material spirit of Christmas.