Tomorrow is the big day! I’m stoked. It’s finally Christmas…and I’m ready to soak up every moment of it’s 24 hours!
I had a conversation with a friend this past week, on how she was making Christmas more about Jesus with her kids. She mentioned that she had thought of forgoing presents for the kids that year to teach them it was Jesus’ birthday. But then after further thought she had thought: “NO WAY! Then they’ll blame Jesus for being the only kids in school without any presents! Plus, I think Jesus would have been the kind of guy to pass out presents to everyone else for his birthday.” I agreed with her. Jesus IS the kind of guy to give presents…after all, He gave the biggest present upon His death.
So in thinking how I can love Jesus’ well this Christmas, I thought, “I need to love people well…and celebrate Him in the process!” SO here are a few thoughts from my meditations on how to love people and Jesus well in the holidays!
1. For God so loved the world: Do something for someone else today. Like, someone who can’t do something nice for you. If you’re in line at Starbucks, give the cashier 10$ extra and tell her it’s to pay for the drink of the person behind you in line. Or if you’re getting gass, go over to a car who has just pulled up and buy them their tank of gas. If you don’t have spare cash, go next door and meet your neighbor…wish them a merry Christmas and invite them to go with you to the candlelight or Christmas Eve service at your church. If they don’t already go to church, chances are they’d love to attend a Christmas Eve service but don’t want to go alone!
Call it a pay-it-forward thing or whatever you want, but God gave us all the biggest gift, twould be nice to pass a little of His love around!
2. Love your enemies: Call up that friend or relative who is hard to love and just have a chat! Even if they gripe the whole time, ask The Lord to give you a love for them. Put a rose on the doorstop of the co-worker who drives you nuts! Or make a batch of cookies and invite them over to watch “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Changes are you’ll both be changed in the process!
3. From the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks: Talk about Him. Don’t be shy! Tell the story of Jesus…contemplate what it would have been like for Mary…think about being a 15 year old, with a pure record, that was now tainted…and now she’s travelling with this man who is now her husband, pregnant with no hotel reservations. ROUGH.
4. How blessed are those who observe His testimonies: Read the Christmas story in Luke! Spend time reading it with your family…if you have young kids, one fun way to make it interactive is to act it out! We write all the characters names on small slips of paper (Joseph, Mary, Donkey, Baby Jesus, Angel, etc). Then we pass them out for people to pick outta the hat. We have a narrarator who reads the story. When the part of your character is read, you “act” it out…one year my Grandmother was Baby Jesus and my baby sister was the donkey. It was PRICELESS.
5. As Sweet as Honey: Make a “Happy Birthday Jesus” cake…complete with candles! Blow them out as a family and say a “grateful wish prayer” for His birth, life and death…
