"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.
Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own
interests but each of you to the interests of the others."
Philippians 2:3-4
What would you give up for someone else?
Would you give up seeing Santa at the mall?
Would you give up sleepovers by the Christmas tree?
Would you give up frosting cookies?
Would you give up an evening with friends?
Would you give up listening to Christmas music?
Would you give up Christmas dinner?
We can give up good things for others in love, but sometimes
when our children need us to give up those good things, we feel guilt. We want
to help our family feel normal. We want to help them enjoy all of the pieces of
Christmas we always used to enjoy. We want to experience the traditions we
always envisioned in the days before children.
Missing good things for your children who can't cope is not
failing your child, your family or yourself. It is living out the nature of
Jesus, who "made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he
humbled himself by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross!"
(Philippians 2:7-8)
