3 Reasons Why I Keep My Christmas Decor Super Simple
/I'd like to preface this post by saying that, as with anything I put on my blog, this is MY opinion- take it with a grain of salt. What it is NOT, is an admonishment of what others choose to do in their own homes to celebrate Christmas. I am, by no means, the standard-setter. I have simply surveyed my own conscience through prayer and came to these conclusions for how we celebrate the birth of our Risen Savior. Merry Christmas!
Three years ago, rather than do what I'd *always* done and pull out a multitude of shiny Rubbermaid bins filled to the brim with everything under the sun that was sparkly, colorful, and very "Santa"- I decided to simplify. I decided to march down into my backyard, chop down a pine sapling, throw one strand of oversized-bulb lights on it, and call it a day. I did this for three reasons I'd like to share now, hoping that any of you that may be feeling a heart-call to do things just a little differently this year, might be encouraged that you are not alone.
1. It's cheaper. Now, one might argue that using an artificial tree that you simply store each year, along with all of your ornaments is just a one-time investment- not an annual expense. But, I'd challenge you that in the Pin-crazy age we live in, none of us just use the same old stuff from last year. Nope.
Every year, there's a new *tree trend*, a better or bigger or more flocked tree, or new ornaments that give us an awesome idea for a whole new "themed" tree that would be MIND. BLOWING. Some of you may be more disciplined than that- but I'm not.
I grew up in a home that was always trimmed to the T- with a show-stopping tree. My mom and sister still put up extraordinarily beautiful trees (always plural), and I love it. I LOVE to visit their homes and see their trees and enjoy all of their hard work along with them. But for me, this was becoming a "keeping up with being pin-worthy" holiday tradition- rather than a focus on the true reason for our celebration {more on that later}.
2. I'm lazy. Now, before anyone starts thinking that I'm attempting to be "holier than thou" with our Christmas decoration simplification, let's keep it real. I'm lazy. I had a minimum of 5 large Rubbermaid storage containers crammed FULL of Christmas gear. Decorations for the mantle, and not one or two, but THREE trees. I honestly got really tired of dragging it all out, dragging it from house to house (we moved several times in a few years), unpacking, finding something to do with ALL of it, then having to re-pack it, re-store it, just to do it all again the next year.
Now, I'm completely aware that some people REVEL in this process. But I had lost my joy in it- it became obligatory and boring {and frustrating} for me. I didn't want to do it anymore, and it dawned one me: I didn't have to. This is our home, our family, our Christmas traditions. I ONLY have to do what WE want to do- what suits our tastes, our needs, our lifestyle and our preferences.
My Christmas decor is the least of all the concerns in the world, and if it wasn't bringing me "tidings of comfort and joy", then it needed to go.
3. Because Jesus. This one is truly about 90% of my reason for a decor decrease. Three years ago, I began reading Ann Voskamp’s The Greatest Gift {and still read it each year as an advent tradition}. During this same time, the Lord used this book along with other circumstances to speak to me about simplification- especially in the celebration of our Savior’s birth.
Many people view Christmas as the most important celebration all year- so they spend much time and money on decorating their homes from top to bottom for the blow-out event. I get that. I love it. And I don’t judge or *wag my finger* in the least. But the Lord speaks to each of us, in His own way, and calls us down different paths for reason.
It’s my deepest heart’s desire to hear “well done, good and faithful servant”. As we make decisions for our resources, it’s important that we ask the age-old question of "What Would Jesus Do?" {Why is this not a thing still?}
When I looked at my trees… my bins and bins and bins of STUFF… my infinitely growing Christmas list and ballooning budget… I asked myself, what would Jesus do?
FOR US, does that tree filled with hundreds of dollars of ornaments glorify Him or bring goodness to His Kingdom in any way? Did that tree fix my heart more on Christ? When I stopped and searched my heart (and the hearts of my family) we found- No, it did not. And we found better ways to steward that time and those resources that we DO feel like brings glory to Him and His Kingdom and fixes our hearts more steadily upon Christ.
Ultimately, I simplified our Christmas décor so that the focus of our hearts, our time, our talents could be more about reflecting on His Heart.
