This year, my husband and I are setting out to have a different kind of Christmas. After what we've been through the last couple of months, a time of stressful consumerism didn't seem right. I wanted to forgo the whole season and just skip to the new year, but I knew A.) that was an impossibility our families would never allow, and B.) it would mean skipping the true meaning of Christmas.
So, we began thinking and praying about how to make this Christmas different. We decided on a "Debt Free Christmas" and asked our friends and family not to buy us gifts. I know...Christmas without gifts. It feels and sounds weird. Then, I got to thinking about it and really, Christmas with gifts is really the weird part. Here we are supposed to be celebrating the birth of our Savior, of our God and how do we do it? By buying people a lot of junk they don't care about and we can't afford. Nothing says, "Welcome Prince of Peace" like debt and stress, right?
I am not trying to condemn anyone but myself here. My focus has been lost when it comes to Christmas for years now. I really get swept away by finding the perfect gift, and making sure I get everything on my list by dropping the right hints at the right time to the right people.
It is going to be strange this Christmas with nothing to unwrap. But, I think it is going to be the most amazing Christmas ever where I can finally get out from under the noise of my own selfishness and see the true meaning of why we celebrate this season.
Here's to the best Christmas ever...
Until next time,
-C.
P.S. If you were considering buying us a gift, please don't or please choose a favorite charity to donate to in our honor. Here is one of my personal favorites, International Justice Mission, http://www.ijm.org/ .
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