December 16 Advent Devotion Written by Diane Montgomery

Trisha Huffman | December 16, 2015

I have two older sisters. The oldest married at the ripe old age of 19. Her first child followed in about a year, when I was 12 years old. They moved away when their son was still very young. This made holidays extra special because they always came home and stayed with us. The small house I grew up in filled with people I loved for a few days each Thanksgiving and Christmas. I can remember barely leaving the house for those few days and having fun being with family.

I followed in those traditions of filling my home with family for the holidays. In recent years, however, I’ve let stress take over, which made it less enjoyable for those family members staying with us. I tend to decorate too much, cook too much and make things a little too complicated. After the holidays I would beat myself up because I didn’t focus more of my attention on just being with the people I love. I’m trying to change. I’m trying to make things simpler and less complicated. Jesus was born in a simple way. He lived his life in a powerfully simple way. He taught us to always focus our attention on others.

Prayer: God, help us all to live simpler, less complicated lives. Help us focus our attention on the more important ways of loving and caring for each other.