I’ve been reading a lot of different articles and blog posts about parents who have lost their jobs, don’t have any money, etc. and are worried that they won’t have any presents to give their children this Christmas. Interestingly, this has been described as a need…parents are asking for help because they need to give their child a Christmas present.
Is that really a need? Are there not some amazing lessons that can be taught to children in the midst of our difficulties, even when those difficulties include economic hardship at Christmas time? Is having a present under a tree more of a need than serving our neighbors with food who don’t have any, or paying one of their utility bills, or making sure they have heat?
I’m always concerned about how often wants are confused with needs. Just because we want something, doesn’t mean we need it — even at Christmas time. Redeem the opportunity by teaching (and showing) the Lord’s faithfulness to provide for our every need, and well beyond our needs, even when things might look to us to be a little grim.
Filed under: Culture, Missional, Teaching, children, family, parents
A very important question that I have pondered on more than one occasion. Thanks for bringing it up for discussion.
A couple of years ago somebody signed up my family to benefit from “toys for tots”. Between all the grandparents and folks in the church (not to mention me and my wife) our children did NOT need more toys. We went nevertheless.
We entered a church and were promptly and coldly handed two garbage bags full of toys. We were told that we could have anything else we wanted from the mound of toys in the room. The people hurriedly informed us that they had too many toys and didn’t really know what to do with them all–so they were handing out extra bags full. The ladies working at this church were so hurried to “serve” that they came across short and rude. The whole experience was very Martha-like and sort of disturbing.
We took the toys and re-gifted them for the next 2 years across birthdays and other occasions.
As much as I see a need to meet children where they are at in their personal and simple definition of joy (i.e. toys and candy)—I agree with you Nick. They certainly don’t require bags full. My wife and I have been encouraged in the past couple of years (helped by our lack of riches) to be more creative with our children around Christmas. This year we only got one toy for each of them and the rule was it had to be a toy that could be best enjoyed if they played with it by including others. One is a board game, another is a pack of moon-sand and the third is a CD of children’s music.