Daily Advent Devotion for December 16th - Ellie Smith

The Truth About Family

By Ellie Smith

One of the most important words of the English language is family. When many people hear the word family, they associate other words like safe, loving, supportive, and perfect. This is often how the media and other outlets portray this simple word, but in many cases families are not as perfect as they seem. Of course, everyone tries to act polite and sweet, like they love each other without fail each and every moment when others are paying attention. Once people look away, this demeanor changes. Families may support and love each other most of the time, but not every minute of every day of every year. There is no exception. Every family has their frustrating days and bad experiences. Anyone reading this will understand exactly to what I am referring, and you are probably thinking of an exact day that this was the case for you personally.

You might be wondering, "Why am I being told that family is secretly terrible?" Well, you're not. I'm actually telling you that all people are human, and no matter how hard others try to act perfectly, no one really is. That's it, the moral of the story, and why we need Christmas. If this was a language arts class, you would probably be asked the theme of this paragraph right about now, but I'm not cruel, so that's why I just told you. You're welcome! I'm also here to tell you that when you dread visiting that awful relative who won't stop talking (or anyone else that my frustration you on Christmas), think about the positive experiences that you enjoy with them, and focus on all your other relatives. Your family tree isn't all bad, no matter how hard it may be for you to visit them.

Jesus is the most important part of Christmas, not worrying about who you will have to talk to or what you need to remember to say to your mother-in-law. So, no matter how terrible your situation, family is one of the most important parts of Christmas. God never meant for people to be alone, that's why he made your sibling who you can't stand. Christmas is not dreading your family; Christmas is celebrating your family and celebrating the birth of Christ.

Blessings to you (and your family) this holiday season!