In this Christmas week many families are doing all they can to keep Christ in the holiday.
Sarah Scott, writing for Women’s Day says Christmas is about much more than traffic jams at the local shopping mall, buying everything on your child’s gift list, Rudolph, Frosty, singing carols, making wreaths, decorating your home, or even sharing a meal with friends and family.
She puts Christ back in Christmas by focusing on the celebration of the birth of our savior Jesus Christ.
Scott’s family rejects most of the commercialism and secularization that have come to define an American Christmas. Each of her children receives four gifts from mom and dad and four gifts from Santa, following this rule: “One thing you want, one thing you need, one thing to wear, one thing to read.”
She says as a result there’s no mad dash through town to buy loads of gifts.
She and her husband buy one gift for each other. They don’t participate in Black Friday or even Cyber Monday. Each child collaborates with them to help provide the same four gifts for a child in need. The focus is always on what they can give, who needs their help, how they can love others—and never on what they will receive.
She believes that we are here to learn how to love others as Christ loves us. So the Scott’s constantly asking How can we show others love and compassion this season? Are there opportunities where we can help, instill hope, and put love into action?