The Privilege of Celebrating a Humble Christmas

I can remember my very first Christmas with my own little family back 21 years ago as if it was just yesterday.  A humble Christmas is what I call it because that is precisely what it was.  My son was only two months old and I had just turned eighteen.  I was a brand new mother and I was working my very first job.  We had no car, we didn’t have close relatives living nearby, and I had to work late on Christmas Eve.  It was my first Christmas away from my family so the tears well up in my eyes just thinking about it.

We lived in a studio apartment three hours away from any Christmas time traditions that both me and Anthony were used to experiencing year after year.  Reality slammed into us so hard that holiday that we had no choice but to make the best of it.  So we did what we could.  We bought a teeny tiny tree that fit neatly onto a dresser.  We purchased a few small gifts for our baby and placed them neatly on the floor.

The anticipation of Christmas carried disappointment with it as it inched closer, and then suddenly it was Christmas Eve.  The day started as any other and my heart longed for my parents and siblings who were miles away who were no doubt enjoying each other’s company.  Anthony came home from his overnight shift at work.  We kissed each other goodbye and then I was off to start my night at work while Anthony endured the evening with our infant son.

Here is what I will never forget…

God showed me something spectacular that night and I’ll forever remember the gratitude I felt on the humblest of Christmases.

You see,  I worked in a homeless shelter.

It was a night shelter that opened at 7pm so that the homeless would have a warm place to sleep during the frigid winter months and then they would vacate the building at 7am the following morning.  It was mostly men, but there were also women.  Every now and then we would get a family or children with their parents.  There were many who were plagued with mental illness and addictions.  Behavior was erratic and moods were mostly dreary.  Each night was unpredictable due to fatigue and cold temperatures that those poor souls were enduring throughout the day.

I distinctly recall Christmas Eve being colder than most, and yet joy was in the air.  Bakeries and coffee houses had donated pastries and coffee.  We brought in candy and decorated the halls with lights.  We even had a tree.

There was a sense of relief from the men and women that night as they were more talkative and even joined in on conversations with us.  We all drank cocoa together and laughed.  It was the simplest of moments but yet it meant so much to me.  That night those without homes were who I related with because they too longed for the way things once were.  Their reality had turned out different then what they had expected it to be.

It occurred to me that God had placed me there during that first Christmas so that I would remain grateful for all that I had been given.  He was showing me just how blessed I really was by revealing to me that there are those who go without so much.

Jesus came to us in the most humble of ways…

He came into this world as a tiny baby, clothed in strips of cloth, swaddled in a manger.  His parents were alone, there was no support of extended family or friends.  It is when I think of how our Lord came into this world that the traditions of Christmas that our culture has shaped seem less significant.

“Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.  Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being…”
Philippians 2:6-7  NLT

As I returned home to my warm, cozy studio that night I felt a gratitude that I had never really felt before.  I was thankful for my little family and my tiny tree.  I thankful for the roof over my head and the warmth of a heater and bed.  The Lord had opened my eyes to how much I should be grateful for.  I distinctly remember thanking God for giving me so much even though I was living at what most would consider poverty level.

That year forever changed my perspective about Christmas.

This year as we plan Christmas we are confronted with sick family members and those who need encouragement.  Our Christmas we have kept purchases modest so that we can spend more time with family who need prayer and presence rather than presents.  We are planning a day of baking so that we can bond as we share recipes.

It will be different and humble.

It won’t be about the shopping or a tree, but about the love of God.

I am fully expecting this Christmas to carry more love and harmony than any previous Christmases combined and that brings me more joy than ever before.

I expect that many other families are enduring hardship and heartache whether it be due to the loss of a loved one, financial hardship, or even strained relationships.  Whatever the case may be, may I suggest you lift your eyes up and give thanks for the good things you have been blessed with.  Celebrate the gift of love that Jesus so readily gave to each of us.

May this Christmas be more about His presence than it is about the presents. #SaltandLightLinkup Share on X

This week I am featuring a post by Christine at Living with Margins called “How to Simplify Christmas” that will not only give you ideas on how to celebrate more simply but will encourage you to keep your priorities in check.

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