Getting ready for Christmas

I am now officially in the Christmas mindset! I am one of those people who choose not to get too involved in Christmas until the 1st of December, at the very earliest! I think that has a lot to do with the way we did things when I was growing up. Our Christmas tree went up the day we finished school, and Christmas shopping didn't start until holidays did.

I used to love doing my Christmas shopping in the City. Seeing all the Christmas decorations everywhere, listening to the buskers in the mall. The busyness and crowds never really bothered me it all contributed to the excitement of Christmas!

But that was back in the days before I was married and had kids! Now it seems I do all I can to avoid being amongst the crowds and craziness. I think ahead about what presents to buy and what meals to cook, all to relieve myself of extra stress and pressure as Christmas gets closer.

I must admit that I do miss those school and university days when I could drive into the city and spend a day getting all my Christmas shopping done, it was fun and exciting and back then it helped me get into the Christmas spirit.

But now that I am older and have a family of my own, I enjoy creating a different Christmas spirit within our home.I don't want Christmas to be all about Santa, decorations, presents and food. We have such a wonderful opportunity at Christmas to talk a lot about Jesus and how He humbled Himself and came to earth. That's why I love advent.


You may know that 'advent' means 'coming' or 'arrival'. Observing Advent is a way of preparing spiritually for Christmas so that our celebration produces a sense of joy and hope rather than feelings of cynicism and exhaustion. Advent, then enables us to celebrate Christmas authentically. (From Immanuel - Praying the names of God through the Christmas season - by Ann Spangler)


All day yesterday, it being the 1st December, I was rather mellow and not at all inspired to get out Christmas decorations etc. My heart was distracted and grieved about other things and I was not in the mood at all. I remembered a book I had bought at the end of last Christmas, the one I mentioned earlier. I picked it up and started reading the first chapter, and almost instantly I knew that God was stirring me to focus on Him first this Christmas. Not decorations, trees, presents, food, I needed to fix my eyes on Him first. I was feeling rather overwhelmed etc at the thought of Christmas decorations, Christmas cards, Christmas cooking, Christmas presents, Christmas parties and so on. I am so thankful that it was not until I came back to thoughts of Him and what He has done for us in sending His Son to earth, that I suddenly became excited about Christmas.

So the first Christmas thing I put out was a book I got last year called Getting Ready for Christmas - A Daily Advent Prayer Book for the Family. I put it on the dining table and we did the reading for day 1 after tea. Each day there is a couple of bible verses to read, a prayer and some kind of activity to do. Last night we made angels for the Christmas tree. My two youngest had lots of fun spreading glitter all over the table! I was feeling so much more into Christmas!

After the kids had gone to bed a wonderful friend of ours gave us some cute Christmas decorations she had won in a competition. A blow up Santa Claus and a singing, climbing snowman!

I am always so amazed at how God works! I had prayed that morning that He would help me to get ready for Christmas, and I while I was so focused on getting all the decorations up, He was leading me to a place where I could put Him first this Christmas. If I wasn't feeling so mellow and uninspired I wouldn't have searched for Him, chances are I would have got caught up with the 'doing' of Christmas.

I am looking forward to spending time each day getting mine and my family's heart ready for Christmas. To gain a deeper understanding of what God has done for us by sending us His son to free us from everlasting darkness. I also look forward to all the gift giving, eating, and fellowship that comes at Christmas time.

I was thinking about what it must have been like for Joseph and Mary when they entered Bethlehem. It would have been so busy and full of people everywhere looking for a place to sleep, probably a lot like our shopping centres this time of year. But God led them out to a quiet stable, away from the crowds, for Jesus to be born.

I pray that there will be many times when God will lead you away from the busyness into a special place where you can truly meditate upon what He has done for us, and the joy of our salvation.