I love being totally honest in my blog when it comes to personal matters. But I continually ask God for wisdom in being able to reveal enough to get the point across, but not too much to ensure my privacy and those that I may write about aren’t compromised.
With Christmas coming (it’s nearly 2 weeks away!!), it’s a time of year where I want to be selfish. I don’t mean in a food, present or attention capacity. I mean in an I-only-want-to-celebrate-with-my-immediate-family capacity. To some of you, this may seem foreign, for others you know exactly what I mean because you don’t have the best relationships with members of your family whether they are your in-laws or in your immediate family circle. Sometimes the relationship is fine (which in my case is) but tolerating their differences is another matter and another stress to deal with on Christmas Day.
Since becoming a mum, Christmas morning has a new ‘excitement’ about it. My husband and I can’t wait to see the delight on our daughter’s face when she sees what goodies have been left under the tree from Santa.
Before, she was too little to understand the concept, but at nearly 2 and a half she is excited about meeting the “KING” whom she refers to as Santa. There are going to be so many first’s this Christmas with the Santa photo, leaving Santa a treat before bed and waking up early Christmas morning to open presents. I’m as excited as my daughter and all I want to do is experience this with just our little immediate family – me, my husband and daughter. But we will have visitors staying with us over Christmas to experience all that Jacob and I anticipate with our daughter on Christmas morning and part of me feels resentful that they are going to witness what is our right to share with our daughter. Selfish? Uh-huh.
I recently read an article in a local paper, written by the editor of the publication addressing selfishness in our society. The message was simple. When we are selfish, it means we gain, but someone else loses out. It’s not even a Christian publication but immediately I knew that the message was just for me.
It’s such a privilege to be blessed with the family that I have and I can’t be selfish in not allowing my daughter to interact with various other family members just because I want to keep the memories to myself.
The whole point of the Christmas story is set in a Nativity scene with the birth of Jesus. His birth was to bring ‘peace on earth’ and ‘goodwill to men’. Choosing to be selfish and only celebrate Christmas with the people I want to celebrate Christmas with will not bring peace, nor does it bring goodwill.
So, this Christmas, acknowledge the blessing of having family to celebrate Christmas with – whether you like them or not. There are so many who don’t have anyone to celebrate with and loneliness is not a place I want any of my family members to experience if I can help it. Don’t have yourself a selfish little Christmas.
Proverbs14:1 The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.
