When Christmas Isn't Merry - Ruth L. Snyder

Looking back, most of my Christmas memories are cheerful and happy. 1971 was an exception. At the time, my parents were serving as missionaries with Africa Evangelical Fellowship in Botswana, Africa. As a child I wasn't aware of the differences between living in a third world country and a first world country. After all, I had good food to eat, my education experiences were enjoyable, and we had freedom to travel to game reserves where we saw animals like lions, giraffes, and crocodiles in their natural habitats.

However, I was aware when my dad became sick. Generally he was healthy and strong. (The Africans gave him the nickname, "Big Bull Elephant.") Near the end of 1971, my dad was sick for weeks. He drank water, but my mom had to coax him to eat. We prayed, and waited, and prayed some more. He became so weak he could hardly make it to the bathroom. The doctors had no answers. We began to wonder if my dad would die. That year we went through the motions of celebrating Christmas, but it just wasn't the same. Christmas wasn't merry for us. I'm grateful that God spared my dad's life and we went on to celebrate many merry Christmases together.

That experience made me more sensitive to people going through difficult times at Christmas. There is something about celebration that seems to magnify the hurts people are experiencing.

Those who are having an "unmerry" Christmas may find help by:

• Helping others - this will take the focus off your difficulty. Spend time in a soup kitchen, donate to a charity. Do something that will lift others up.
• Instead of comparing your life with others, pray for those you know who are having a hard time.
• Limit time in large groups of people - leave events if/when you need to for your own health. Let people know that you are not up to celebrating. 
• Set realistic expectations - for yourself and others. Schedule in time to read a book, take a nap, or do something else you find relaxing.
• Develop a new tradition - this may be particularly helpful for those who lose a loved one during the holiday season. Do something that honours the memory of your loved one.
• Count your blessings - make a list of all the things for which you can choose to be thankful.
• Ask a friend or family member to do something fun with you. Make a list of things you enjoy and see how many you can check off after you've done them.

Friends and family members can be an encouragement by:

• Asking how things are going and making time to listen
• Praying for those going through hard times
• Giving a small gift or card - anything that lets the person know you care
• Respecting the person's wish for privacy and time alone
• Planning something fun that the person enjoys doing
• Allowing the person to grieve

 What do you find helpful when you are struggling? Please share your suggestions. Do you know someone who is struggling? Choose one way to encourage him or her today. 

5 Ways to Pay it Forward at Christmas with Your Children - Ruth L. Snyder

Many of us parents struggle with how to pass our faith on to our children in meaningful ways. We understand that if our children do not personalize their faith and make it their own, they will discard biblical beliefs as they grow older. My husband and I have discussed ways of making Christmas real to our children. We continue to try different approaches.

Here are a few of our favourite ideas:

1. Have each child purchase items and pack a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child with Samaritan's Purse. We explain to our children that we are sending toys and other items to children who have no toys. This project has opened up discussions about helping less fortunate people and learning about other cultures.


2. Help out at a local shelter or soup kitchen. We have made trips to the Mustard Seed several times to cook and serve an evening meal. It is enlightening to talk with people who access services. Some people are there due to poor personal choices, but others are victims of unfortunate events.


3. Sponsor a child. Our family sponsors children through Compassion Canada and the Dalit Freedom Network. For a dollar a day, we can give hope and education to a child. Both organizations encourage correspondence between the sponsor and the child. This provides great opportunities for learning skills like letter writing and learning about other cultures. Compassion Canada also welcomes sponsors who want to travel overseas and meet the child they are sponsoring.


4. Go caroling in your neighborhood. We've discovered this is a dying tradition, but people appreciate hearing carols at their doors. We have also baked cookies as a family and then distributed them to our neighbors after we sing. (Make sure you have a list of ingredients in case people have food allergies.)


5. Write thank you notes to people who give gifts. This is almost a lost art today. Unfortunately, we have so much that often we are not thankful for what we receive. Writing thank you notes encourages us to stop and think about the person who took the time and spent money to buy us something. Hand written notes are few and far between and will mean a lot to the people you send them to. It is easier and faster to send an e-mail, but the extra time, attention, and cost you put into writing a note will demonstrate your gratitude.

This year we received an Adventures in Odyssey activity calendar from Focus on the Family. We didn't do all the activities, but we really enjoyed the ones we did. For example, before opening our gifts this year, we played the "ABC Advent game" where we came up with 25 things related to the Nativity. Our whole family (with children ranging in age from 5 to 16) participated and it was interesting to hear the different creative contributions each person came up with. For instance:

• A is for angry - King Herod was angry when he heard about Christ's birth
• E is for excited - the shepherds were excited to hear about the birth of Jesus
• V is for the shepherds who came to visit Jesus

It is encouraging to see our children not only learning, but also sharing what they are learning with others. A couple weeks ago I wrote about how my one son made me cry in church - happy tears.

What have you done with your children or grandchildren to teach them about Christ and Christmas? Please share :)

Ruth L. Snyder

Ruth L. Snyder lives in north-eastern Alberta with her husband and five young children. She enjoys writing about her journey of faith, special needs, and adoption. Her novella, Cecile's Christmas Miracle was released on December 4th and is available from Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

http://ruthlsnyder.com

Why I Wrote Cecile's Christmas Miracle - Ruth L. Snyder

People write fiction for many different reasons, several of which have been discussed already by other bloggers this month. As a Christian writer, I take my writing seriously. I believe that God has gifted me with an ability He expects me to hone and use to accurately reflect His image. This doesn't mean that what I write has to be heavy theology. In fact, I believe that God is just as delighted with me expressing His image through a creative, fun story (fiction) as He is with a thought-provoking devotional (non-fiction).

On December 5th, my novella, Cecile's Christmas Miracle, will be released in e-book format on Amazon, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble. (This is the 7th story in the Kathi Macias' 12 Days of Christmas series with Helping Hands Press.) There are several reasons I wrote this story:

• To introduce people to the beautiful country and people of Botswana, where I spent several of my growing up years. Botswana is a land-locked country in southern Africa, most of which is part of the Kalahari Desert.
• To force myself out of my comfort zone. I'm very comfortable writing short pieces and haven't written a novella or novel before. I like a challenge and this was an opportunity to write a longer piece.
• To give people an enjoyable story that would make them think.
• To show people in North America what it's like to spend Christmas overseas, where it is celebrated in the middle of summer with no snow, no turkey, and perhaps no family nearby
• To remind people of the true essence of Christmas. In North America we often define Christmas by traditions (turkey and mistletoe), weather (snow), and shopping (gifts). People celebrating Christmas overseas are often stripped of these facades and forced to truly focus on the birth of Jesus Christ.

I found it enjoyable and challenging to write this story. It was fun because I was able to relive some childhood memories and share a treasured part of my life many of my friends know little about. It was also gratifying to rise to a challenge and conquer it. The challenge came in crafting a plot that was believable and entertaining, but also true to life and educational. When I did my research for the story, I was horrified to read about the resettlement of the San Bushmen. It was challenging to present that part of the plot in a way that didn't put anyone down, but at the same time showed the struggles that expatriates face in foreign countries.

What about you? Do you write fiction for any of the same reasons I do?

Ruth L. Snyder

Ruth L. Snyder was privileged to spend the first ten years of her life in southern Africa where her parents served as missionaries. Ruth now lives in north-eastern Alberta with her husband and five young children. She enjoys writing about her journey of faith, special needs, and adoption.

http://ruthlsnyder.wordress.com