The gifts of a simple lift

Most people have had to adjust to changes in work, home and church life this year.

Yet, as we moved to online school and university for our three daughters and restrictions for travel and shopping, we realised as a family that we already live a fairly simple life.

All five of us love to cook, play board games and watch movies. We enjoy spending time in our garden, we love walking and we have spent many nights sitting around our ‘campfire’ sharing stories.

On the other hand, our struggles were cancelled flights for visiting or hosting family and friends. Not knowing when we will be with family again causes grief. We recognise the importance of the touch of loved ones.

As Christmas approaches, we say we have an ‘occupational hazard’ when people ask what we’ll be doing. For reasons of faith and calling, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are always spent at church.

But we also have formed simple yet cherished family Christmas traditions. Over the years our girls have acted out the nativity story, and we now have annual Christmas treasure hunt. Rather than spending hours shopping, we put hours into planning clues to stump the girls. The hunt is now the gift. Perhaps this year, we will organise an online treasure hunt including extended family.

After all, it is not the ending, but the journey that matters. It is about spending time together. So, while many things have changed this year, maybe our Christmas won’t be all that different. As always, we will enjoy the simple things we do together and, most importantly, celebrate the birth of our Saviour Jesus.

• Visit www.staging.lca.org.au/spread-the-word to find promotional materials (bulletin inserts, A5 flyers, PowerPoint slides and social media posts) to help you spread the word about our Story of the Week.
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