Several years ago, I spent hours wandering a Christian bookstore hoping to find something to help my children really understand the Biblical story of Christmas. I saw some things that came close to what I was looking for but nothing that did what I hoped to do.
I wanted my kids to get it. I wanted my kids to be able to spend most of December focusing on that which was and is true. I wanted them to understand deeply all the details of the Nativity. That I did not find.
Last year, I decided I would wait no longer and created a devotional set to use with my family that would meet all these goals. I found a Nativity set and wrote a booklet that would help my children sense the waiting that is so much a part of Advent... so much a part of the Christmas story, too.
Every other night during December, we gathered for a time of devotions as a family. In our family, we did this after dinner while we were still all seated at the table. Using the set I created, we would start by reading a short passage that focused on one of the participants in the Nativity. For instance, the reading might be about angels. Then, after we read about them, we put the angel figurine into our Nativity scene. We did not add anything else... just the angel. The next time we gathered to read the next devotion, we would focus on another figurine... maybe the shepherd... and then add just that one piece to our set.
What we found is that proceeding through Advent this way helped our children to really connect to the details of the Christmas story. By the time we added the baby Jesus, each piece had a story. Each piece revealed a lesson that is important to Christmas. They got it. My children understood.
How do you teach your children the story of Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus? How do you help focus the attention of your children on this most important part of Christmas?
Looking for help? My Christmas devotional set is for sale through my website while supplies last. Check it out at http://www.nadiaswearingen-friesen.com/DevotionSets.html. You can order one through there, too.
So, lets share ideas! What works for you?
Blessings on your day!
