The best part about Advent is that you take time every day for a whole month to focus on the birth of Jesus. The hardest part about Advent is that you take time every single day for a whole month!
If you’re doing Truth in the Tinsel for your Advent celebration (and I hope you are!) that means you’re sitting down with your kids, reading a passage of Scripture and making an ornament craft with them EVERY DAY. Maybe you’re just reading a devotional (I’m doing Liz Curtis Higgs’ Women of Christmas) by yourself. Or maybe you’re reading a storybook like Jotham’s Journey with your kids (we started this one and I love it so far!). Or maybe you’re unwrapping a picture book everyday and reading them in front of the tree. Maybe you’ve got a paper chain or a light-em-up idea or even a little chocolate calendar.
And maybe, like me, you’ve breathed a heavy sigh and said, “We didn’t do our Advent stuff today!” or you had a busy day and your kids said, “We can’t go to bed now! We have to do our Advent calendar!” and you know that the best thing you can actually do is put your over-tired kids to bed. Or maybe you just don’t want to get off Facebook or get up early to read your advent Bible readings.
There are simply days that just because it is December and Advent doesn’t mean you actually feel like celebrating or always have the time and space to make time and space!
Galatians 6:9 is one of my favorite passages about parenting. Well, it’s not really about parenting but for me, it definitely is. Paul writes, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” My parenting version, “Don’t get weary of parenting. It seems a long way off, but when your kids are older you’ll see the result of your stick-with-it-ness.”
For me, Advent is a part of parenting. I want my kids to know and honor Jesus with everything they do. I know Christmas is one of the most magical times for them so I am adamant about making it meaningful, careful to make it count and purposeful to make it pay off.
So, on the hard days when Advent doesn’t seem magical, I remind myself not to become tired of doing good. And if the kids wanna do their Active Advent 40 more times? I’m gonna let them. If we have to stay up 30 minutes later or I have to pull down another box of beads for a craft, I’m going to try to do it because I know it will bring a good reward.
As we get into our second week of Advent, I’ve got two pieces of advice for you. They might seem diametrically opposed but really, they are quite the same because they lead to one true thing:
1. Don’t get stressed about what you haven’t done. Don’t try to do All The Things. It really is OK if you miss an ornament, forget to open the door on your calendar or simply don’t even think about them one day.
2. Don’t get tired of doing good. Yep. It’s worth saying again. It’s not about not getting tired. You’re gonna get tired. But don’t get tired of the GOOD.
Look at your Advent observance as the best and most important thing you do all day. Your Advent celebration should be a buoy and a highlight of your day–of your year. Let your kids—and your own heart—see Jesus every day. That’s the one true thing. When you do, you will certainly receive the reward God has promised.
Are you celebrating Advent this month? How’s it going?
Thanks to Beth Anne’s Best for hosting the Advent Blog Hop!
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Dawn says
Such great perspective! Thanks, Amanda!
And I’m secretly happy they want to do their Active Advent exercises 40 more times! 😉
Liz Millay says
Love this. Three times already I’ve whisked K off to bed only to realize when I came back downstairs that we didn’t do our Names of Jesus Advent ornament. But, a high point came yesterday when I told him to pick out two ornaments to put on the tree so we’d be all caught up for that night. I read the names and was just going to have him put them on the tree, but he was adamant that we “read the story.” He doesn’t really understand the names or the verses that go with them as he is only just turning 3 this month, but he found my Bible and tried to “read” them himself. It was great. Those are the things that keep you going when you’re not sure it’s stinking into their little minds.
Stasja says
Hi Amanda,
Our children love Truth in the Tinsel which of course is great to see and experience. However, they especially like the craft-part. The reading-part sometimes is a bit challenging if ou know what I mean. Any tips?
Amelia says
Spot on, Amanda! I think you thought of every situation possible! Thanks for the encouragement. 🙂
Beth Anne says
Oh man I struggle with this too and I don’t even have kids. I have been known to do 3-5 days at once because I forgot to read my advent prayers for the day or put my advent ornaments on the tree.
Kyles978 says
This is the first year we haven’t celebrated Advent in a long time. I gave birth on the 13th of December and I just haven’t been able to pull advent together this year. Fortunately the boys have lots of Advent memories and we will make many more. This year we celebrate God’s gift of a daughter as well as His gift of His Son, our Saviour. I have been thinking a lot about Mary and what it would have been like for her. I can’t imagine traveling that distance while full term. Saturday night we watched “The Nativity” as a family and then welcomed our little girl just a couple of hours later.
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