Nestled under the tree amidst the paper-wrapped packages sits a small tin box. Adorned with painted jewels and gold trim, it is anything but obscure. It was a gift passed along by a great-grandma and holds a special place under our tree and in our hearts. Despite its very ostentatious exterior, its inside is really quite plain. It typically only holds a simple slip of paper...a paper placed there by a Little One eager to be "Hands and Feet."
Every year, during the rush of the Christmas season, we pause...
For one evening, we all come together and pause to plan a gift for Jesus. A gift we will give to "the least of these" because in doing so, we are giving it to Him.
In our continuing effort to teach our children to love God and love others, the Hubs and I have determined to focus one of our Advent Countdown Activities on our tin box under the tree.
Each Christmas brings anticipation for how God will stir our hearts and move our feet to serve Him by serving others.
Even during the early years of our family when the possibilities were much larger than our pocketbook, we scraped together what little we had in hopes that our small offering would be multiplied for multitudes. We scribbled our gift on a slip of paper, placed it in our box, and rejoiced in knowing that God doesn't need us or our meager givings for His perfect plan, but if we're willing, He chooses to use us.
This year, we have chosen to "rewrap" our gift from last year. Once, again, we will allow each one of our children to select a gift from the World Vision catalog...a goat...a set of chickens...fresh water...medical supplies...whatever they feel led to choose. We will give these gifts in gratefulness to the Baby who gave Himself for us.
I let you peek inside our tin box not to boast over our small gifts, but to invite you to place a slip inside. This year, I encourage you to pause...
Pause and then give...
It's His birthday, after all.
Love that tradition of yours! I started a new tradition this year with my family; the Advent Calendar. I know that people do the Advent Calendar in so many ways, but all I knew before starting one is that I didn't want it to be, "self focused". We did the World Vision catalog this year like you and it just broke my heart going through the catalog because I wish we had lot's and lot's of money to help everyone in need!!
ReplyDeleteI stumbled upon your blog while searching Pinterest. I am so excited that I did. Great ideas.. most I'd like to start using with my own boys! :) Thank you!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you're here!
DeleteI really like this idea. I think I'll talk to my husband about doing something similar to add to our traditions. Here is how our family gives a gift to Jesus on his birthday. My mother-in-law bought us a beautiful Italian-made baby Jesus in the manger (porcelain?) as a souvenir from a trip she took to Europe. Jesus is fairly large, filling the palm of an adult's hand. We put only the manger out at the beginning of Advent, and leave Jesus packed away. For now we put it up high on top of our piano so little people don't break it. We put a little pretty box of "straw" beside it (bits of craft raffia and white and yellow yarn) and every time anyone in the family does a good deed during Lent, he/she puts one piece of straw in the manger. We encourage the children to do lots of good deeds to make Jesus's bed really cozy in time for his birthday. Then on Christmas morning, before anyone else opens a gift, we get the baby Jesus out, sing Happy Birthday to him, and lay him in the manger, in all of the good deeds that we have done for him during the past four weeks. Usually we let the youngest child have the honour of laying him in the manger (not the current baby, of course, but usually a toddler). Even our teenagers still enjoy this tradition, and obviously the meaning of it sinks in a little more as they get older.
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who does a similar straw tradition at Christmas. I love that! Thanks for sharing!
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