For This House
Every Season. Every Space. All for Him.
Every Season. Every Space. All for Him.
Just about a year ago, my family spent about a week between three different hospitals watching our then-two-year-old son fighting an extreme case of RSV.
It was the week leading up to Christmas, and instead of wrapping paper and kids programs, our time was consumed with puffers, doctors and nurses.
Now with a healthy, strong and resilient three-year-old boy (plus a new baby brother), this season has opened up some sensitive memories and provided a new perspective at which to look at our Christmas traditions this year.
Being brought to the doorstep of a life or death situation with a child is something I wish on no parent, ever. But now that I’m safely and fortunately on the other side of it, I’m able to see the whole experience with *slightly* more rosy-colored glasses.
Going through this over the holiday season was especially hard because the general holiday happenings just keep on keeping on, meanwhile our world stood still.
When we were able to get back to our own normal again, the holiday shenanigans had nearly passed us by, or we were just too emotionally unavailable to take them in after everything we’d been though.
The silver lining is that we were able to simplify our holiday commitments for more meaningful rituals with the people we love.
We’ve learned now that holiday tradition really isn’t about the date on the calendar, or the place of the celebration, or the schedule of events. True Christmas tradition is about so much more, and yet so much less.
I listened to a message recently that interpreted John 10:9-11:
“I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
The speaker pointed out that Jesus didn’t come to give you a bummer life (as the thief), but an abundant life; that we might live life to the fullest through him.
Not so that we might have an abundance of THINGS but rather and abundance of JOY, HOPE & PEACE.
It’s this theme of JOY that keeps popping up everywhere for me this Christmas season:
Choose joy.
Abundant joy.
Sounding joy.
Tidings of comfort and joy.
Joy to the world.
Even movie titles and character names all pointing me back to JOY.
And oh how I have needed this repetitive message of joy to permeate my heart during this season that brings up the anxiety and stress of our experiences during the holidays last year.
His timing is good and right. He knows what we need to hear, and when it will get through to us.
The joy we find in Christ is what we should all be seeking at the heart of everything we do during the holidays.
Don’t buy gifts out of obligation to the tradition, but rather to bring joy to your friend or family member!
Don’t plan the Christmas crafts or gingerbread houses just for the sake of it, but to see the kids faces when they get to the finished product.
Don’t even think of showing up to that holiday party if you can’t also embody the joy that we are lucky enough to experience because of the Christmas story.
Think twice about your holiday traditions, and if you are able to bring the same joy to these as you did when they started. If not for you, for the people who depend on you.
If you can’t still find joy in the same old traditions, let them go. Start something new!
Our week-long hospital stay may change the way I experience the holidays for a while, but i’m happy to say that I’m now reclaiming the joy in our holiday traditions ways that may have taken me years.
Here are a few things I can already say we’ve kept, changed, or instigated:
As new devices enter your home, assess their potential health impacts and incorporate guidelines for their responsible use. This ongoing commitment ensures that your family’s tech habits remain aligned with your well-being priorities. Regularly evaluate and update your family’s tech safety guidelines to align with the latest insights.One thing I love about the gift exchanges we do with some of our family is how we change it up and make it unique every year to sort of gamify the experience. We’ve tried so many categories and switched the budget up every year.
The best laughs we’ve had came from some of the lowest budget secret santas and white elephant gift exchanges. It’s about the connection, not the gift. This tradition stays!
With so many toddlers and babies in our extended families now, we’ve decided to throw out the cozy Christmas Eve timeline we’ve always enjoyed, at least for a time, for a Christmas morning (maybe even Christmas Eve morning?) commitment instead.
Aren’t we all just a little more fresh and cheerful in the morning? That’s the hope for this year anyway! 😅
Because we have young kids, I am focused on remembering the true meaning of Christmas in all that we do. Not to overdo it, but to acknowledge that there are so many other agendas out there at this time of year, and we cannot lose sight of the truest story.
My son is only three, so we’re keeping it pretty simple, but we do have an advent calendar and some storybooks in rotation at this time of year. I’ll admit this piece is a work in progress but something that I hope evolves into a beautiful retelling of the Christmas story over the years as our family grows.
I pray that you and your family are able to recover the joy in your holiday traditions rather than just going through the motions of them for the sake of it.
Heavenly Father,
In the midst of holiday chaos and pressure, teach me to look deeper and find joy in what truly matters.
Grant me grace to be fully present in every event or interaction and to embrace both old traditions and new ones.
Refresh my spirit with your joy, hope and peace this Christmas season.
Amen.
Lauren is a founder of For This House. She is learning and growing every day to live authentically for Christ in all things. Lauren lives in British Columbia with her family of boys. She enjoys nature walks, quality time with family or friends, and exploring new places. Learn more about Lauren.