It all starts with the Truth. It starts there, it ends there. The Truth is kind, loving, gentle, purposeful, and even joyous! Yes, joyous! Our American traditions play such an integral part in holidays we celebrate. Let me start by stating my opinion (since it is my blog:), these fun traditions in themselves are no issue. (We have incorporated a little make believe in our own home:). Children have wonderful imaginations! In our home, we do all we can to promote creativity and fun, but not in replacement to the Great Commission. Let me challenge your family to something here... This is how we have decided what to "participate" in: think about what the kids will remember about it a few days later. When you ask Olivia what she remembers about Christmas, she may say lights, the tree and ornaments but you can count on the fact that she will talk about Jesus being born. This tells us, the goal of priority has been accomplished. If you ask about Resurrection Day tradition in our house, I bet she will tell you about Jesus being dead and risen three days later. She may also talk about a garden we planted in honor of the empty tomb...she won't say a thing about treats though. Was she missing out? No. She enjoyed getting to dig in the dirt and paint the wood sticks for the cross and find the rocks for the tomb. She enjoyed the dinner prepared in honor of the risen King!
My point is simple. Mothers, it begins with us. What do we desire for our homes and our traditions? What do we hope for our children to look back to see? Neither me nor my husband are close to perfection...that's just it. My biggest prayer is that in some way on a daily basis, as a family, we are pointing each other to Christ. Encouraging one another that we are here for a purpose in this world. We have the ability to discern what enters our homes and our hearts. We better...
I hope you are getting encouraged to go the extra mile as you see fit when you are deciding what traditions you will set for your children. This is coming from a Santa and Easter bunny fanatic in my childhood years. You and I have the responsibility to select priorities for our our family when it is young.
My family has heard Dustin and I say this. I must tell you too. If we plead and plead and promote Santa as reality...if we tell them the Easter bunny is coming to give them a basket...if we promise them the tooth fairy will deposit money for them...they believe it! Children are concrete thinkers. If you tell them you may tape their mouth shut, don't be surprised if they tell someone mommy will put tape across their mouths... Then what happens when we tell them and show them Jesus? One day they will see that all those years of fairy tails were just stories, which is what a fairy tell is supposed to be. Those same ones you promised them were real. This is the point, except for the Holy Spirit's intervention, at which it may be very hard for them to know the reality of the miracle maker, life giver, resurrected Savior. My Olivia is already at three asking where God is. I tell her He is holding her...she says that she doesn't feel anyone holding her... I was a child. I remember that feeling when I realized that Santa was really not on the Doppler radar and even the news guys were liars. No matter how essential you feel this may or may not be, please at least stop and contemplate for a moment...
My point in all these details is that children enjoy tradition. In fact, they need that to add to their security in growing up. But you can start your own traditions! This is an awesome opportunity for your family to make choices based on the beliefs you hold near. You can add fun moments to make it well-rounded with the kids. This year, I adopted Ann Voskamp's grace garden concept for Resurrection Sunday. It turned out to be a great activity to remind us about the grace we have in Jesus. And, still it sits on our front porch as a daily reminder. This will be something we will look forward to every year that we are able. This is a new tradition. I hope you start your own:)
What would you like your family legacy to be?
