You know how you did that one thing with your kid that one time and now it’s all they talk about? Or maybe you remember something from you childhood that you did “all the time,” but in reality, your parents tell you that happened one time. Memories are funny like that and it should be a good encouragement for us as parents that we don’t have to do it perfectly and 100% for them to remember it. If we try, they will remember it and God will be faithful to form them through our efforts.

Maybe you had grand plans for Advent, but the wreath is still in the attic and the candy is still in the packages (or still at the store).  Maybe you’ve done it faithfully in the past, but found that you just don’t have the energy for it this year. Maybe you don’t even know where to start and celebrating Advent is all new to you. We all want the Christmas season to be magical for our kids. We want them to experience the joy and wonder of it all. And we want them to know the true story of Christmas. But it can be a lot to keep up with. It can be exhausting trying to make Christmas “magical.”

That’s the true “magic” of Christmas, it’s not really our job. It’s not about us and our efforts, but about God and what he did by sending Jesus to be born as a helpless baby, to live a sinless life, to die and be raised from the dead. The story of Christmas isn’t about us and how good we’re doing, or how many days we do the advent reading. In fact, it’s exactly the opposite. It’s about how we could never do enough, yet God loved us so much that he stepped into history to be enough for us. There is nothing we could do to earn that love because it was freely given. And there’s no failing as a parent so bad that we can lose that love. 

So this year if you don’t have a cool advent calendar, or you forget to do the advent reading, or you don’t light the advent wreath every single day, or even every week, or you didn’t even set it up this year, it’s ok. They’re still going to remember the times you did it and it will still be formative. Don’t give up when you miss a day or a week. You don’t have to “catch up.” You can start where you are. Don’t worry if it’s not grand and elaborate. Start with something small. Pare back to something manageable. And just be faithful to tell the story and to celebrate the Advent of Christ as you can. Rest knowing that God will be faithful to fill in the gaps because he loves your children more than you possibly could. He came for them too and only he can make Christmas “magical.”