But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
Phillippians 3:20 ESV
Growing up Christmas wasn’t a holiday we over-did. Around the age of eight, we did away with the tradition of a tree and presents. My dad used to give us cash and we did all the church celebrations but we moved on from the Christmas culture. I am a pretty reasonable chick and to me, it made sense even at an early age how fast we can take something so holy and turn it into something that is simply self-focus at its best.
Fast forward to when I became a mom, I knew I wanted to keep the holy holidays sacred but that is hard in a culture of consumerism. In OCTOBER my kids got the Target holiday catalog. Man, what a nightmare it was to watch them instantly start ripping out images and screaming, “I WANT THIS!” I was almost horrified but then I drank some coffee and remembered this is the human condition. We are prone to want and need and have to have. We are tricked into thinking that if we are good enough or make enough money everything we have ever wanted will become ours… “because we deserve it!”
The Christmas holiday is one of the most difficult holidays to keep a proper perspective on and guide our children to that perspective as well. Because of that, my husband and I didn’t want to create traditions that fed our flesh, instead, we wanted to set up traditions that would point our children to Christ and help them refocus their eyes back on their Savior.
I will admit, the first year we did this I just was trying to do something cute. My kids always beg to open presents on Christmas Eve and let’s be honest, I can hardly wait for myself.
One day while I was walking down the endless Christmas aisle at Hobby Lobby I saw these adorable round boxes, and the idea to fill them as stockings came to me. We have never lived in a place that had a fireplace so stockings were just annoying. Hanging them on the wall just seemed silly and so they usually just sat unused. So, I tossed 4 boxes in my cart and was so excited to fill them with books and special goodies! I knew a new tradition was being created but it wasn’t until I was filling them the day before Christmas Eve that I realized the significance.
Christmas is a day we remember and celebrate Christ’s birth and life. That time in history was a tiny foretaste of what would come when Christ returns for His Bride, the Church! Y’all! I cried! This was exactly the tradition I wanted for our children. I have always felt like something was missing when we celebrated Christmas and this was IT!
Christmas isn’t just Christ’s birth, it is a time to celebrate that He is coming AGAIN and it is going to be amazing! The story doesn’t end here and the celebration continues! We have eternity to look forward to with God!
And so, our Christmas Eve Box tradition was born. We give a devotion each year by the light of the Christmas tree. We discuss how these Christmas Eve boxes are just a taste of what is coming when we wake up on Christmas morning. And just like those boxes are a foretaste, so were Christ’s birth and life. What we see in Scripture about Christ’s life is just a small sampling of what we will all experience together with God in Heaven.
Friends, I hope your Christmas isn’t just merry and bright, I pray that this Christmas you lift your eyes heavenward and meditate on what you know about Heaven. Christ’s birth, life, death, and resurrection made it possible for you and me to spend eternity with God. His death on the cross paid the price for our sins and His resurrection confirmed that He is the one true God! Heaven holds eternal love and worship of our Savior! It’s going to be amazing and Christmas can’t even compare!
A Little More About Erin
Hi! My name is Erin and I am a mom to four littles, wife of 11 years to an awesome husband, and dog mom to the best dog ever!! We love experiencing nature and exploring! We also homeschool and I love learning with my kids together. I am the author of the blog Broken Not Broke. I have a passion for building community and encouraging others in this race of life. Community and loving others well is a huge theme woven throughout my blog and social media. Broken Not Broke was born out a desire to share that we encounter many difficult and trying situations throughout our lives BUT we are not left broken. Christ is our redeemer and He is near to the brokenhearted!