Christmas is admittedly my favorite season. Lights, carols, candles, gifts, trees, candy
cane scented bath bubbles, sugar cookie hand soap, snow or the memory of it (depending
upon where in the globe you are celebrating)… all of December is my favorite
really... except for those few years when it wasn’t and I got a little lost and
I tried to follow someone else’s script for how to do Christmas.
Admittedly for more than one holiday season I was chewed up
and spit out by the Pinterest Holiday Excess Express and my overwhelming,
unchecked and unholy desire to do all the pretty things all the other mommies
were doing to ensure their babies had “The BEST Christmas Ever.” After at least
three, maybe four Christmas seasons pretending to be someone I wasn’t, I sort
of let go. I had no choice really. I was ruining my favorite holiday with an
ideal that wasn’t mine. So, in a fit of exhaustion and not-very-merry weary I
put down the manufactured holiday script. I laid down the expectations the
Internet and the Blog-o-sphere had crafted for me and I decided to write our
own holiday story. A story that didn’t require matching PJ’s, magic stinker
elves and sparkling reindeer poop on the front lawn. Or was it reindeer
food????
It was a good re-writing
and letting go. It was a letting go of pressure to compete for the best
Christmas Mommy Award, a letting go of doing every possible event on the
Holiday Schedule, a letting go of too many tedious Advent pockets on the hand
crafted Advent branch- because for real, there are only so many flavors, scents
and colors of homemade play dough a mother can make in one month while
retaining her sanity. Also, those kid-friendly ornaments Pinterest peddles? They are not for kids to make. They are for us
moms to make all the while wondering with deep and pulsating anxiety what is so
wrong with our children that they are unable to handle the “simple” ornamental
construction and design that Pinterest clearly
stated was a craft for children aged
18mos to 3 years old?!?!?! That is a true story. But even more true? Pinterest
is drunk. Your kids are fine.
Two year olds don’t craft- they create. And mostly they create messes.
There is a huge difference.
See? This nonsense is exactly why the letting go was good for me.
Three years ago I intentionally let go of much of our
holiday excess in search of a Christmas season that gave life and peace to my heart instead of sucking it dry, thus
freeing my children of the burden to Martha Stewart 25 straight days. For three
years now I have sat back and felt my way through the Christmas season,
attempting to listen to my heart and to figure out what seems right for my
family and our celebration of it. Except for my excessive use of indoor
Christmas lights that could possibly lead one to believe we live in a 24-7 rave,
Advent in our home now feels simple and uncomplicated. Mostly though, it feels
like it fits us.
Yet this year, as I unpacked Christmas decor the day following Thanksgiving (as all normal
people should) I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was missing something. The
feeling bugged me a bit. I wondered… Did I cut back too much? Have I eliminated
something integral to the season? Or is this just my soul succumbing again to
the pressure of the world to do more? For all my pondering I couldn’t quite put
my finger on it.
Then, near the last page, on
the last day of the 6th Annual November reading of Ann Voskamp’s One
Thousand Gifts I read yet again her wisdom, basking in each word. But this time,
when I read this line something happened inside me. I read…
“Is
there a greater way to love the Giver than to delight wildly in His gifts?”
It was as if her words were in
special italics and bold print just for me. Sometimes through
another person’s words my God seems to whisper directly to my heart…
“Just
don’t forget my beloved; the delighting
is the best part.”
Within one small sentence
something happened inside me, this connecting of dots, this finding of a
missing piece, this soul of mine was reminded yet again: He delights
in me! He rejoices over me even! (Zephaniah 3:17) He loves me so much He sent
His son to rescue me! And what better way to give thanks for His gift of
extravagant love than to delight
with wild abandon and celebration for Him, my Giver!
I know now what I had missed
as I planned for this new season of Advent. I had lost sight of the true object
of my delight. In all of the scaling back I somehow made simplicity the idol. Simplifying
became the main event. I know this because if I am achingly honest, I got a little high on my horse, a little
puffed up and a tiny bit holier than thou whenever I considered how much better
the Honeycutt holidays are because we don’t partake in over doing it or obscene
excess. You know, over doing it like, well, like everyone else. And the pride just oozes out. Oh, how quickly
a good thing becomes an unrighteous idol. I am super fantastic at worshiping my
own good works.
In my genuine attempt to make
space for peace I lost sight of the delight and the One in whom I delight. When I think of delight, I naturally think
celebrate and when I think celebrate, I think party. What exactly is advent is
if it isn’t the building up to the big party? A birthday party nonetheless! Is
there any better kind? A month long party of the heart as it gives thanks for
this God baby who came to save the world.
Jesus did not come to invite me into just a relationship of peace and
simplicity. While those are great and holy things in all the ways, He also came
to invite me into a relationship of ridiculous celebration. Sometimes
Christians like me are awful at this. I kind of think this is why a lot of
people might avoid churches. I myself know that I tend to keep “Jesus events”
very separate from actual fun events. But I think we as Jesus people actually
could be really, really good at it if we opened ourselves up to the possibility
that Jesus wants to party with us. He
wants us to celebrate. Celebrate Him, celebrate True Love come down. He
delights in us so we may delight in Him. This is where heaven on earth,
eternity even begins! Can we even see it?
I am literally giddy at the thought of this.
So, today on the first day of
December in the 2016 Advent season it has been decided. Officially. This season
the Honeycutt’s are partying all month long. We are delighting in Him whom
delights in us, who came to give us life, who gives us gifts of love every
single day. I just spent all of last month writing them down, writing down all
the things in my life He has given me- beautiful and bountiful gifts of nature,
people, art, feelings, words and love. What better response to that list than
expansive praise, thanksgiving and delight?!
This year we will simply delight
with a full month of hearts wide open, joyful celebration. I’ll say it again, because truly, what is Christmas
if not a birthday party?! Since it is for Jesus, I am pretty sure a whole month
of party isn’t being too excessive… as long as drunk Pinterest stays away.
Unless of course Pinterest and all of her shenanigans help you find your best celebratory
spirit! Then by all means, Pin away!
“For God so loved the
world He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him shall not
perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
This! This makes me want to sing and dance under the
Christmas lights like a girl intoxicated with love for the Lover of her soul! We
are invited to throw a party! To delight! To rejoice! To celebrate His love for
us!
Sing and dance with me? Le’s be Advent-ers of celebration
first and then let simplicity and peace flow from there. Dancing isn’t your thing? Then maybe start
with the most beautiful of questions, “Do I believe He delights in me? Do I
believe He showers me with gifts of love? If so, how may I delight in Him this Christmas?
How might I truly party with gratitude?”
But come on… let’s dance it is the best way to party! He
delights in you. Dance with the delight
of it.
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