Christmas Tradition, Anyone?

I know Kathi Macias from her books that help "set captives free," but she also writes to encourage believers to think intentionally about how they live for Christ. In this special Christmas UPLIFT, Kathi reminds us the holiday season is a perfect time to consider beautiful traditions and how they might bless our families.

“For some of us, the word ‘traditions’ has a negative connotation, as proclaimed in song in ‘Fiddler on the Roof,’” Kathi says.

“And though I loved the movie and am also cautious about the importance of some traditions, I’ve found they can be quite positive when practiced correctly."

"Tra-di-tion......"

Yes, I (Dawn) can hear that fiddler's song now. (Can't you?) Traditions can be cold and burdensome, but they can also be beautiful when they are laced with meaning that glorifies God and encourages others.

Kathi continues . . .

I’ve been working on my “brand” long enough to know that most readers associate me with two types of books: social-issues novels and Christmas stories. Whenever possible, I try to combine the two. But as they say, there are exceptions to every rule.

A Husband’s Christmas Prayer began as just such an exception.

It was, in fact, my publisher who suggested it—and God who confirmed it as I considered and prayed about taking it on.

The topic? A fictional “inside” look at a young pastor and his family, still finding their way through the ministry maze and learning to balance family and ministry commitments along the way.

This exception to my usual fare led to a story about a man who serves on a pastoral team in a large beach town, who excitedly accepts the offer to pastor a fledgling church in a small desert community two hours away.

His wife isn’t at all excited about the move, and though she tries to be supportive throughout the transition, her husband can’t help but notice the lack of joy in her responses.

As I wrote the book, I realized it isn’t only pastors and their families who can experience such a division in their lives.

I can remember more than one Christmas where I was less than enthusiastic about certain events in my life, and sadly, I allowed those feelings to dampen my usual holiday cheer.

But God is so faithful, isn’t He?

When we’re at our lowest, the Lord is right there to restore our joy, regardless of circumstances—if we’ll just let Him.

And that’s what I kept in mind as I wrote A Husband’s Christmas Prayer. I realized that most all families—pastors’ or otherwise—have special holiday traditions. Even if those traditions didn’t originate with Christmas, if they are steeped in the true meaning of Christmas, they can become tools God can use to draw us back into that place of joy.

For instance, albondigas (meatball) soup and birthday cakes.

As a German-Italian, I didn’t grow up eating albondigas soup—never even heard of it—but I was introduced to it when I was in high school and dating my Mexican-descent boyfriend (now husband).

A few years later, albondigas soup became a staple in our own family, and I enjoyed it so much that I wrote it into the story. (You can even find my sister-in-law’s recipe for it at the end of the book.)

The other tradition I included in the book started years ago when my youngest came home from his four- and five-year-old Sunday school class. Excitement lit up his face as he announced he wanted to make a birthday cake for Jesus. I assured him we could, then asked what made him want to do it.

He shrugged and said,

“Christmas is Jesus’ birthday, so He should get a cake.”

Out of the mouth of babes, right?

The Bible says Jesus was born according to the plan of God (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6; Galatians 4:4a; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 2:1-20; John 1:14).

Well, sure enough, we made a birthday cake for Jesus and continued to do so every year thereafter. It’s a tradition we’ve endeavored to pass on to our grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and each one has thought it was a wonderful idea.

As it turns out, the pastor and his family in the book thought so too.

And God used those traditions to help bring healing to my fictitious family, just as He has done for our very real family—and others too, I’m sure.

What are some of the traditions your family shares that are "steeped in the true meaning of Christmas"? Does your family know WHY you practice these special traditions?

Kathi Macias is the author of 40 books, including titles in the "Freedom Series" and "Extreme Devotion Series." The Moses Quilt deals with racial and generational divides and the impact of the Gospel. A Husband's Christmas Prayer, which is mentioned throughout this post, is available here. A popular speaker and Bible teacher, Kathi lives in Southern California with her husband, Al. Learn more about Kathi and her books at www.kathimacias.com.