by Nancy Twigg Adapted from Celebrate Simply: Your Guide to Simpler, More Meaningful Holidays and Special OccasionsALTHOUGH Michael and I have learned a great deal about creating meaningful family celebrations, we’ve also discovered that we must constantly be on guard. We’ve seen how easy it is to get off track if we don’t stay focused on celebrating in ways that reflect our values. Just a few years ago, I received a humbling reminder of what the meaning of Christmas should be for me.
Our back yard had no landscaping when we purchased our home. The only vegetation we had was a sparse layer of grass with a pitiful collection of young pine trees. Soon after we moved in, my husband, being a man of vision, quickly dubbed this group of trees our Christmas tree farm. With all of those fine specimens of Christmas trees growing on our property, he wouldn’t hear of actually purchasing one the first holiday season we lived here. He insisted we had to cut our Christmas tree from our own back yard.
On tree-cutting day that year, we selected and cut down the least spindly tree of the bunch. It wasn’t exactly the Christmas tree of my dreams and I confess that I made a point of loudly telling Michael so several times. I think he may, in fact, have been a little hurt and disappointed that I didn’t seem impressed by his resourcefulness.
Anyway, the lesson for me came later as my conscience bothered me for not showing more gratitude over our less-than-perfect, yet free, Christmas tree. I was reminded once again that the reason for the Christmas season is not outward displays of seasonal merriment, but rather inward reflection and celebration of what we hold most dear.
As a Christian, the wonder of the Christmas season for me is that a perfect little baby was born into a far-from-perfect world so that “ugly Christmas trees” everywhere could become beautiful through God’s love. In the same way our lights and decorations covered our little tree’s imperfections, God’s grace and forgiveness make those who accept Him whole and complete and perfect in His sight. As God showed His love for us, we show our love to those around us during this season of giving.
When I thought about it that way, our ugly Christmas tree didn’t look so bad after all. Being a bit less than perfect myself, I could, in fact, empathize with the little tree. Thank goodness God doesn’t look for the same perfection in us that I looked for in a Christmas tree! And thank goodness holiday success is not a reflection of how attractive your decorations are or how many presents surround the base of your tree.
This little story illustrates that simplifying the holidays is a continual process of defining and redefining what a meaningful celebration is for you. This principle is true for Christmas and it holds true for other holidays as well. Forget about how you believe everyone else celebrates. The bottom line is simple: What do you really want out of your celebration, and what do you need to do to see that you and your family get it?
