Christmas As It Was Meant to Be
BY SHELBY MILLER
My favorite Christmas memories growing up are not a specific gift I received like the year we got a puppy or even the Christmas cookies with our favorite holiday movie in the background. My favorite Christmas memories are the times we slowed down in the middle of the hustle and bustle and looked for ways to serve. Christmas, especially in the United States, can easily become about having the most gifts and posting the perfect picture of our perfect families. But something special happens when we go against the grain, slow down, and serve at Christmas time. From my experience, it actually feels like serving is what we were made to do during this time.
When we remember the real meaning of Christmas, we are reminded that Jesus came to earth on the most extreme, wild mission trip ever. The first Christmas was a giant service project from Heaven to humanity. Somewhere along the way we got confused and made it about presents and material things. But when we serve at Christmas time, we really connect with Jesus and what the first Christmas was about. He saw us in our mess, our brokenness, our helplessness, and He came down to serve us and save us. Now while we won’t be doing any saving this Christmas, we can connect to the heart of Jesus by following His example and serving.
Serving is important in every season of our lives. It “zooms out” from our everyday life and the problems that feel so massive and reminds us there’s a whole world of people going through their own problems. It helps us feel less alone and shifts our focus. Maybe you are a young mom caught in the chaos of potty training and wrangling kids or you’re single and feel lonely this Christmas. Maybe you’re an empty nester and the holiday is not the same with quiet Christmas mornings and no little footsteps running to see if Santa came. No matter what season you’re in, there’s an opportunity for you to serve this Christmas and to make the days about more than you. You can connect with Jesus by doing what He would do and experience the full joy of service.
There are countless ways to serve. Most cities have service opportunities that are planned, and all you need to do is show up. It can be as simple as buying gifts for an angel tree or serving at a Christmas mall for low income families or helping out at a local homeless shelter. If you want to do something more personalized to your family, ask your local elementary school about a family that could use some extra love this Christmas. Wrap up underwear, socks, and mittens to give out to people experiencing homelessness this year. My favorite memory of serving during this time was the year we found out which families at our elementary school did not have a Christmas tree. We bought a bunch of trees from a christmas tree lot, decorated them, and delivered them around midnight to these homes. We got home around 3am Christmas morning feeling so happy that these families woke up to a Christmas tree the next morning. They had no idea where it came from, and I’m not sure they ever will. But that’s what makes serving so humbling. It’s not about fame, getting the credit, or feeling good about ourselves. It’s about returning to the real meaning of Christmas and experiencing what we were created to do.
It may feel counter cultural and take some planning and creativity to find ways to serve this year. And you might still wake up Christmas morning with your same scenario you came into the holiday with– an empty nest or still single or a crying baby in your arms. But, I want to encourage you to find ways to give yourself to others over the next few days. I can promise you it will give you a heart full of gratitude and might actually end up being one of your favorite Christmas traditions yet.
