What should we give our kids for Christmas?

I was at a Christmas symphony last week and one of the songs they played was from the movie The Polar Express. The director introduced the song and mentioned how beautiful the movie is, and I thought, "Yes, that one is a good one. We need to watch that soon." And then the other night we watched Elf and loved (most of) the comedy. In fact, my oldest son watches it throughout the year. But at some point in the movie, something occurred to me. So many Christmas movies lie to us. They tell us that Christmas spirit is all about believing in Santa. Have you noticed that? I don't know why it took so long for me to see this, but I do know that every year our family sits down and watches a stockpile of different Christmas movies that we own. We are filled with this magical feeling of Christmas, like we are a part of something magical when we step out in faith and believe . . . in Santa. I don't know that I've ever put words to it, but when I think about it, that's the feeling I have, and probably the feeling my children have. 

This realization about how our family has prepared for Christmas is honestly a little gut wrenching.  I was thinking about the Christmas movies that we've already watched this year, and I don't know that Christ was mentioned at all, nor do I remember even seeing one nativity scene. See, the truth is that Christmas spirit is all about believing in Christ, not Santa. Our society has made Christmas more about the "magic" of waking up Christmas morning and finding that one special present in the midst of a sea of other stuff. And when I think about it, how is that magical? How is indulging in our desires to have more stuff honoring Christ? 

I ask these questions because part of me still holds on to this desire to make Christmas "magical" for my kids. See, for at least two years now, I have felt convicted about filling our living room with presents Christmas Eve, but I have found ways to justify doing just that. Deep down, I don't want to take away that magical feeling of Christmas morning from my kids. But, as I was having this realization while watching Elf, I began to realize that we shouldn't strive for Christmas magic. We should strive for Christmas holiness. Isn't that what our deepest desires are anyways? Isn't that the best gift I can give my children? 

We bought a swing set for our kids this year. We personally are not spending a lot of money on it (maybe $50) because our whole family is pitching in. They readily wrote out checks for $100 or $200. But, what if my whole family did that for the people starving in Haiti or Africa or downtown Lakeland*?  What if the $600 that our swing set cost went to provide shelter for a homeless family for a month? What if even half of what I personally have spent on Christmas over the years went to something that would honor Christ? What would our world look like then? 

I don't know what it is about me that can have these realizations and still fear that my kids will grow up hating me and God if we don't make Christmas about the presents, but I do. So, I sat down with my 10 year old and started talking to him about this. I told him stories that I've read about families who sacrifice to give to the poor during the holidays. I told him that we are moving in that direction. I braced myself for the materialistic, hard heart that I've helped to cultivate in this boy to begin arguing his case for toys Christmas morning. But do you know what his response was? "I think I'd rather give to others than get more stuff." Aren't our deepest desires holiness? All I have to do is pave the path for holiness and my children will readily, hungrily run down it.

*I wanted to mention that some of my family did give a big chunk of money to help send my husband to Haiti. We are so grateful for their support!