First Church of God

Christmas is coming and coming quickly.  Stores are in full holiday mode.  Even the commercials on television have taken on a holiday flare.  Christmas parties abound and the decorations are coming out of the attic!  We even sang a Christmas carol at church this morning.  All of this brings back memories.  You know what I mean.  Memories of Christmas' as a child, or when our kids were small, or maybe even our first Christmas as a married couple.  One memory in particular that comes to mind is one of Caleb, our oldest son.  When he was small, around 3 years old, he wanted to sleep under the Christmas tree.  So, David agreed.  I was very pregnant with Jacob at the time and sleeping on the floor was not an option for me!  David and Caleb got out the sleeping bags, positioned their pillows directly under the tree, and lay there looking up at the lit tree until they both fell asleep!  It was a precious site!  A site I will not soon forget.  Caleb had a knack for wanting to sleep in really strange places.  Once he asked to sleep in the bathtub and I didn't think it would hurt anything.  When David got home that night he found Caleb fast asleep in the tub all tucked in among some soft pillows and blankets I had put in there to make it a little more comfortable.  I think he must have thought that I had lost my mind.  But, all I could think of was that it sounded like fun!  Why is it that as we "grow up" we loose sight of simple things that make life fun?  We tend to take life so much more seriously.  I know that we have responsibilities as adults and we have to dwell in the reality.  But, so often we want to transfer that to our children.  Kids have to grow up so fast these days.  And, I think that we have failed at times to protect what is left of their childhood by placing unrealistic expectations on them. I am hoping that I can protect the fun in the lives of my boys.  As Christmas approaches and another year comes to an end, I hope that I can remember to stop and see the fun in the simple things in life!  Maybe I'll spend the night in the bath tub and see what all the fuss was about!