My extended family prepared and served lunch at MUST ministries, a local shelter for the homeless in our area on the Friday after Thanksgiving. "That was fun," was the unexpected take from my 17 year old daughter. I asked my wife if she thought our girl knew that shopping was what you were "supposed" to do the Friday after Thanksgiving. My wife indicated that she probably did, but she never mentioned that she would rather be shopping instead of serving, eating with, and playing board games with the homeless. We took several games to donate to the warehouse, but they were closed, so we ended up playing catch phrase and backgammon with some of the guests and the community service workers there. We had a blast. I'm reminded that we can choose to be frustrated by the commercial nature Christmas has taken on; or we can seek ways to claim the season as a time of giving. I hope you'll consider gathering your family to serve a
meal at Must, or be a
Christmas Angel, or
find other ways to give together.
There is a movie called
What Would Jesus Buy out
on DVD that gives an interesting perspective on how Christmas has become a season of debt accumulation.
What is your favorite tradition new or old that keeps giving and sharing at the core of the Advent and Christmas Time season?
1 comment:
I grew up with, unfortunately, a shop-a-holic mother, and during Christmas time it was all about "What I wanted". During my early twenties, I resented how much stuff my Mom would buy for us and how much debt she was willing to take on, but you couldn't talk to her....she knew what she was doing. Anyway, now in my thirties, things have slowed down, as far as, Mom buying us crazy amounts of stuff. One positive thing I can take from my Christmas experiences as a child (and my brother has the same feelings) is that I am really sensitive and aware of how wide the gap is between the "Haves" and the "Have Nots," especially during the holiday seasons.
So, as a new tradition in our family, my brothers, their wives, my sister, my wife, and I put the money that we would of spent on each other ($50.00), and we pool that money and are able to provide christmas presents for 2 kids from a local Marietta organization. Bringing gifts for those 2 kids, who have never had the chance to be disgusted by how much money is wasted on presents that no one needs, is my favorite thing I do during the holiday season.
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