From the depths of despair, O LORD, I call for your help. Hear my cry, O Lord. Pay attention to my prayer.
Psalm 130:1-2 (NLT)
Let’s acknowledge that we are each consumed in the contemporary times of the year 2020. This includes both parents and children. We have lost our sense of reality and are learning to live on a “drama high.” This is exhausting. A snowstorm will seem disappointing after all that we have been in tune with this year.
We “are” entering the Christmas season. We and our children are told so many different variations of truth. We can easily find ourselves chasing a tail of tales that have crossed our paths on all the current issues in hopes of finding some thread of understanding. What must our children think? How do we protect them from senseless worry and being led in the wrong direction by false narratives? We have been told variations of mask wearing; Thanksgiving sharing, Covid testing, threats and reality; election results; history challenges; cancel culture; name calling and so on. A news anchor said last week “we may have to cancel Christmas.” Covid will not cancel Christmas; Christmas took place many years ago.
Parents must have “the talk” daily with our children and process with them “all” of the contemporary issues. Let’s reclaim our lives and our families. Cut off the news and speak of what we do know. I want to take this opportunity to set the record straight and encourage each of you to do the same for yourself and your family — God is still on His Throne. Psalm 47:8 (NKJV): “God reigns over the nations; God sits on His Holy Throne.”
Thanksgiving takes place no matter how we spend the day. It is a time to be “thankful” before the Lord, and it doesn’t require large crowds or even turkey to celebrate. Secondly, Christmas has already taken place thousands of years ago. It cannot be cancelled. These are Truths our children need to hear from us so that they are not tossed to and fro.
“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
James 1:2-8
I will use the lyrics of a song by Kutless “Have we lost the reason that we celebrate each year? What is Christmas if there never was a Savior wrapped in a manger; what is Christmas? If the angels never sang Glory to the newborn king; what is Christmas without Christ?”
Let’s do what we have to do to confront our contemporary times with a grateful heart, confident spirit, and equipped with Truth, and most importantly, to equip our children to do the same.
