Coach's CornerDecember 2017
It’s that time of year again – lots of holidays. There are many thoughts on what is the best way to do things for your children. I’m sure God has the way lined up for us with our children and is so pleased when we seek Him and His ways. With all the mistakes that a mommy can make over the course of twenty-five years, what I want to look back on most, is not what I’ve done right and not even the great choices my kids have made, but rather that I have pleased my Father in some small ways along the way. If seeking Him for ideas and guidance have done that, then may I live seeking His direction. May you live seeking His direction. I have done things the very best I could, and it worked for me because of God’s help, but my way is not the only way. There are so many things I could have done better or different. But I didn’t. Maybe I did an excellent job in some ways and fell flat on my face in others (or feel like it). My goal is not to make you feel like you fell on your face, but rather to help offer ideas that might be beneficial in areas you haven’t walked through before or possibly change, add to, or tweak areas that you have not felt like were at their best.
So what about holidays: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, Easter? Do you think life was simpler before now? Romans 14:2-8 As a child, I dressed up as a witch, a ghost and a skeleton as well as a princess and a bride, etc. Then as a parent after seeing people struggle with spiritual oppression in other locations, I didn’t want my kids celebrating Halloween as a holiday about spirits and demons. But, I give out candy and enjoy seeing little ones dressed up in costumes of cute little things. I’m so thankful that churches use this time of year to have fall festivals to show God’s love and offer safe and secure alternatives. I didn’t want my kids to miss the fun of costumes, so we let them dress up as non-supernatural or violent creatures. What does God say to you? (Seek, find, follow, don’t condemn others)
Since we tried so hard to tell the truth to your children, we applied that to Christmas also. We told our kids that Santa Clause was a game parents played with their children. That way, my kids didn’t give up the fun of our culture without us compromising our conviction of truth. Out of respect for others, we told our girls not to tell others that it was a game. I wish that others could somehow find a way to respect the choices of others as well. It doesn’t make us better Christians if we don’t do “Santa Claus” or the Easter Bunny. Our choices don’t make Jesus love us more than others. He loves us completely and fully just because He does, even in all our sin. I think with holidays, maybe it is important to focus forward. What choices can we make to help our children grow into that Christian that God created them to be? I know of people who have said that finding out that Santa wasn’t real, messed with their faith. But, it didn’t seem to mess with mine when I was a child. (Seek, find, follow, don’t condemn others)
I think you are seeing my pattern here. Well, what about Valentines’ Day? I’ve heard such sorrow over this holiday. Singles that hate the holiday. Self-esteem or self-worth would put much of that to rest. If we could help our kids see that they are valuable and complete as they are, it would be great that they don’t think they have to have a sweetheart to prove they are valuable. So, do work on self-esteem with your babies. Oh that they could find that worth in Jesus and His valuing their life so much. That is another goal I keep going back to advise you to work towards. Use every opportunity to build that (in Christ). One thing we did was use this holiday to show our girls that they had two people in love with them – mom and dad. We did the Valentines, candy, sometimes candy roses. I mailed that kind of stuff to them in college. Not only did we want to remind them how special they were to us and how loved they are, but also we wanted to make memories and build traditions for them.
That brings me to Easter! The celebration of the most important day in the life of the Christian faith. I hate that bunnies and eggs have made their way in to detract from that holiday. As with most holidays, I’ve been on both sides of opinions. Our family did egg hunts and dyed eggs the week before or day before, but not usually on Easter. I think these are the most controversial holiday celebrations, but for all other special days or events, follow the previous pattern of seek, find, follow and don’t condemn.
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