Keep it Simple
Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.- Luke 2:14
I love holidays. All of them. Easter, valentines day, birthdays, thanksgiving, Christmas – all of them! I love getting together with friends and family to celebrate, eat special food, decorate, make crafts, and sing songs. Of course Christmas is the biggest, most elaborate of the holidays. We have made it so big that some people begin to dread this special holiday. There is too much to do and too little time to fit it all in. There are cards to send, gifts to buy, house and yard to decorate, cookies to bake, parties to attend, lots of activities for kids, church programs, friends to visit, family coming to town, and a visit to Santa. Add to this all of the regular things in life such as laundry, meals, errands, carpooling, paying bills, cleaning house, etc.
Too many times I hear people wishing the holidays were over! What happened?
When Jesus was born, God chose a very simple path to bring us the king of kings. He chose a simple young lady, Mary, to be the mother of Jesus. He chose a simple, quiet place for Jesus to be born and a simple manger for him to sleep. God chose simple shepherds to visit the newborn king. There were also some pretty spectacular elements to this story such as the star, the angels, and the magi, but for the most part, Jesus came to us in a simple manner.
Advent is the season to prepare our hearts for Jesus. If we are too busy, it is hard to focus on preparing our hearts and experiencing the true meaning of Christmas.
I must remind myself to try to keep things simple in order to enjoy the blessings of Christmas and to receive the gift God has sent us.
The songs of Christmas tell me it is time for advent. I love the hymns of Christmas. So many of them are about peace on earth, celebrating the birth of our savior and giving glory to God. What a wonderful, simple message to celebrate!
O Come let us Adore Him, Christ The Lord.
Prayer
Dear God, help me celebrate this Christmas in a simple manner. During Advent, help me focus on preparing my heart for receiving the gift of your son and striving for peace on earth. Thank you for your love. Amen
Joy Shultz, Faith Class
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