The next few Simple Homemaker posts will be dealing with the how-tos of enjoying a simple Christmas. This post in the series, however, deals with the “how come.”
In many ways, Christmas is the antithesis of simple.
Christmas in North America has come to mean stretching the budget so far it will take nearly until next Christmas to get it back into shape. It involves spoiling already spoiled children. It means gathering with family members who often are only under the same roof because they have to be. It involves gorging on so much food and so many sweets that one family’s resultant ailments could singlehandedly support a gastroenterologist and a dentist for the next three months. At least that’s how the Hollywood version of Christmas appears.
Christmas was never meant to be complicated.
The Biblical account of the first Christmas is straightforward and simple. It conjures up images of a small baby in a crude manger, the simple love of a young mother, and the implementation of the Father’s plan of salvation.
Why do we complicate Christmas?
Why do we take the simple and beautiful and make it complex and, in many ways, ugly? Why do we approach the ultimate heavenly Gift with an air of expectation and ingratitude?
Many of us have grown up with or developed certain expectations which we attach to Christmas. Anything less, and we are simply and ingratiatingly dissatisfied.
We need a change of heart, followed by a change of mindset. Because I can’t say “be grateful” as well as Stephen Bautista has already said it, I leave you with this song.
(Yes, that is The Simple Homemaker’s messy desk and duct-taped chair in the background. Keepin’ it real…although it is clean now.)To hear more of Stephen Bautista’s music and thoughts, visit his website and follow his Facebook page.
I’m jealous of your duct taped office chair-I sit in a rocking chair at my desk! LOL
Love the song! Love the post! And love the beautiful photo of the newest (?) blessing in the Bautista house!
Thank you Sonita!
My previous desk chair was named The Chair of Doom, because it randomly tips and dumps you out if you’re not careful. The Duct Tape Throne is much more user-friendly. 🙂
That is the newest baby. Number seven. And the child holding her is the one who determined eight months ago that SHE would be this baby’s second mother. She’s lived up to it so far.
I’ll pass the song comment on to Steve. Thank you.
Haha well no nursing the new baby in that chair then huh?
Congrats again on the new little bundle of joy!
Duct tape fixes everything. 🙂 And they make PINK duct tape….right up my alley.
Wonderful post. I know I am occasionally guilty of making the holiday more difficult and crazy than it should be. Thanks for smacking me back into place. 🙂
They even make patterned duct tape. It puts a whole new spin on creations like duct tape pocket books and vests. MY brother once decked his boys out in duct tape (over their clothes) and sent them to school for some sort of “dress your children weird” day. A multitude of uses!
I just had someone tell me the other day about duct tape clothing. 🙂