Yesterday was a hard day, I guess for the most part we walk around choosing to see things the way we want to, not really opening our eyes to the reality of what IS. Josh and I have really been led over the past months to the great importance and responsibility of teaching our children to fallow the LORD. To teach them in the Holy Scriptures, to teach them Honor and Respect and most of all Obedience to the LORD through Obedience to us their parents.

With Christmas drawing near we started to hear from the mouths of our children “Happy Holidays” and started to hear questions of santa. I was shocked because we don’t do santa and we always say Merry Christmas, yes I know that those words in and of them selves are not harmful, but rather seeing my children s hearts behind them was of great concern. Off went the TV, all of it, things are going to change, my children will know the Truth of Christmas, the Birth Of Our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ!
So yesterday Josh and I and the kiddos all went on a search to find a kid movie about the Birth Of Jesus Christ, the story of Christmas, we figured any store would have several to choose from with it being Christmas and all. SO we go to Walmart, which is usually pretty good about having books and movies of faith, but there was nothing! So we went to Target, and nothing again, I mean not even close. Ok so now we are thinking were just going to have to go to Life Way, were kinda feeling silly that we didn’t go there first and save us a lot of time, but o well. So we get there and walk through, and we look and we look, and we come to the kids movie section, and look over and find their Christmas movie selection and were sadly surprised. There was nothing! They had all kinds of movies about the Christmas spirit, you know being loving, and movies that teach kids about giving and all, but NOTHING even close to telling the story of Jesus and his birth. I want to clarify, it wasn’t that they had a movie but maybe it was sold out or something, as could be expected, but they didn’t even sell a children s movie telling the story of Jesus birth! I asked and i looked at every label on the Christmas section shelf!
I have to admit that I was at first really frustrated that a Christian book store, the one place that should sell such a movie, did not have anything even close, but as we drove away I started to become sad. I started to break at the fact that this is what Christmas is now, that it is about what we have made it. It is no longer a time to worship God the Father in remembrance of the greatest gift, the gift he gave to us of SALVATION in his Son Jesus Christ., but it has become all about selfishness, about telling our children lies, about any thing and everything that has NOTHING to do JESUS!
What a HUGE responsibility we have as parents. Well we ended up going to a few more places and finally found the movie The Nativity Story at a movie rental store. As we were driving home I just kept hearing in my head , “are you really surprised?” now remembering all that Jesus prepared us for through his words in the gospels, that the world will hate me. Then I started to feel so foolish and silly to complain about not finding a movie about Jesus, when i should be ever so grateful that I have the greatest gift, second to the gift of Jesus, The Holy Scriptures! So many people in this world don’t even have that. Man we are so blessed in this country, yet we are so ungrateful, God forgive us!
Last night we all sat down together as a family and watched this movie, I was concerned that this movie would not keep their attention, but o how wrong I was, the story of Jesus is a powerful story. Both Cayla and Cadence, who are still very young, did not take their eyes off the TV the entire time, and after we tucked them into be last night, the last words that Cayla said to me was , “Mom , can I please watch the Jesus movie when i get up.” God is a powerful God, and his TRUTH moves even the tinniest of hearts and draws them, there is no need for bright colors and silly songs, just the truth! I am now ashamed at my lack of faith, looking back i see that I bought the Lie just as everyone else, that Jesus is not enough. I thank you LORD for your grace and your patience with me, I am not worthy, forgive me and forgive us all!

Behold what manner of Love the Father has given unto us, that we should be called the Children of God!

~C