In Uganda, for Christmas, most city dwellers head to the countryside where their families live.
Traffic jams are worse than normal. Cars are loaded up with treats that can’t be bought in the rural areas. Once they arrive, families sit together and tell their stories; they laugh, they eat and they celebrate. We heard about a Ugandan Christmas on our recent Faith in Parents podcast, ‘Christmas elsewhere’. What struck me most was that families reflect on the past year and they plan the next year – together. There is celebration in the discussion. They are not remembering their country’s progress or their team’s season or their school’s achievements. It is a celebration of their own special family. Theirs is a unique conversation.
The story of parenting is often wake, eat, sleep, repeat. So memories, traditions and celebrations feel like gold dust. Create one of those special moments before you return to the routine in January. Give it a sense of occasion. Light a candle or a fire. Make hot drinks or cold milkshakes. Offer cake or marshmallows. Download our one page ‘Look back, look up, look on’ worksheet. Give the time to the Lord, out loud or in your heart, asking that he would use your efforts.
