Make a Difference During the Holidays
We’re venturing into the holidays. Thanksgiving has come and gone. Then it is Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Over the years, Keith and I have celebrated the holidays in many different ways. Now the kids have all grown up with their own families and scheduling becomes a nightmare. The two Scheidies gatherings per year, with the passing of Keith’s folks, has been relegated only to Spring. We also often celebrated Thanksgiving with my brother Paul and his wife Lorene. At times she made dinner and later we played games. Or, we went out to eat.
With Paul’s unexpected passing in January of 2019, Thanksgiving has been us and Lorene at Perkins. This year it was Lorene, her friend who had no place for lunch, and Keith’s brother Randy and wife Nancy, and their granddaughter who also would have been alone for the day. It was a good time of food and fellowship. I was even able to eat ham, mashed potatoes, and green beans—no pepper pre-applied this year, for which I give thanks. We reached out and made our own gathering. Family, friends.
Once kids grow up and get married and have kids, holidays can become a battleground. Who doesn’t want to have the grandkids for Christmas? Christmas isn’t the same without kids’ giggles and hugs. But we refused to play those games. Instead, we share our kids and grandkids. One year we celebrate on the Christmas holiday. The next year, Cassie and her family are with her husband Kurt’s family in Minnesota.
This is our off year. We celebrated Christmas with Cassie and family in Papillion on the weekend of December 16th. Our son and his adult kids don’t care when we celebrate. They’ll come whatever the date works for our families. They only have to come from Lincoln where they live and work. Though it wasn’t actually Christmas time when we celebrated, we still got to spend time with kids and grandkids. I looked forward to a wonderful Christmas together and was thankful for the time spent. We had a great time!
After all, Christmas isn’t as much a set date as an event. Christmas is Jesus, who left the majesty of heaven, to come as a helpless baby into our world to experience humanhood. He lived, He loved, and He willingly sacrificed His life to take the punishment for the mess we make of our lives. He died and rose again to offer life to you and me. He conquered death itself that he might be with us as we follow Him to peace, light, and life.
Holidays can be a time of overspending and stress, or it can be a time of joy as we slow down and remember the reason for the season—a Savior who loved us enough to come into our world and make a difference. How are you making a positive difference this season?
© 2023 Carolyn R Scheidies
Kearney Hub column 12/19/2023
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