by Kendall & Cathy Thomas
Christmas can stir up intense and complex feelings – both pleasurable and painful – that sometimes take us by surprise.
Christmas! What feelings are you experiencing as we come into the Christmas season. Stress; “How much can we spend this year?” “What should we buy and who should we give gifts to?” “Bah humbug! It’s all commercialism!” Or, are you excited for all of the festivities, parties, food, music, and family and friends? You may be sad this year remembering those who will not be with you. We are so thankful for the dialogue method we were taught on our original UME Weekend. With this tool we are able to share our feelings honestly.
In our home, Christmas is our favorite season. We put our tree up the day after Thanksgiving. The tree is decorated with ornaments that have special meaning to us. When our son was a baby, each year we would take a special small toy and make it into an ornament, we still include some of them. As a teen our son was embarrassed by these ornaments, but now he enjoys sharing memories from his childhood with his children!
If you are like us, there are special treats made only for Christmas. Cathy spends a few days each year baking with our grandchildren to create special memories together. All of these traditions make Christmas special to our family.
But, Christmas is so much more! It is a time of awe and wonder as we once again read the Christmas story in the gospels, and we sing familiar Christmas Carols that also tell the story of the birth of Christ. Sometimes the story and the songs are so familiar to us that we overlook the most vital expressions of what should be a meaningful season.
So, as we begin this season with all the busy activities and traditions, let’s be intentional to make time to pause and reflect on the true meaning of Christmas.
Application for dialogue and loving discussion:
• Share with your spouse your favorite tradition growing up.
• Share what you would like to make a tradition now, maybe a new one.
• How do we make Christ the center of Christmas?
• If we haven’t made Christ the center of Christmas, what steps can we take to begin this year?
“My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?” –Bob Hope
Merry Christmas!
Kendall & Cathy Thomas
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