“It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” So goes the line to the classic holiday song. But do those words describe how your life really looks at Christmastime? Perhaps you’re more inclined to believe that the old song about having a Blue Christmas fits the season better.
As Christians, we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, but life in a fallen world doesn’t take a yuletide timeout. Indeed, for many, the season of Advent is marked not by good cheer, but by sorrow and dissatisfaction. For our “Tales of Christmas Past” Advent calendar, we recognize that the Christmas season doesn’t always live up to our lofty ideals.
We’ve collected a number of true stories of Christmastime that point to the central, eternal theme of Christmas: Into this darkness has come a great light.
As you read these stories as a family, you’ll see that there’s something about Christmastime that really does make it special. Unexpected acts of honesty and generosity display the “Christmas spirit.” Kindness and warmth toward strangers are evidence of “Christmas cheer.” It may not be the most wonderful time of year, but when people reflect goodness and God’s love to others, it’s can be pretty great.
Once you sign up for the current calendar, you’ll be sent an email that contains a link to this traditional Advent calendar on the final page of the download.
