Our Christmas Exchange
It is true that children live by what they learn. What I learned was through the Word of God. I love to learn. I love to teach what I learned. I love teaching children and children has become my calling, my mission, and my ministry. I was a housewife, mother, and teacher. I learned real quick how to budget and spend my time. Now, I have never been a materialistic person and this is of course my choice, but in my opinion, things cannot replace the love and time children need from their guardians.
After my children became adults, they surpassed gifts from Santa. It was my daughter who started a week of family time instead of gifts. Since her suggestion was so close to Kwanzaa family values, I decided to do both the seven days and family time until Christmas. It ties together all the things I love. Yes, it even ties it to the scripture given to me by the Lord.
Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.
Psalm 127: 3-5
Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth.
Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court.
Children are a gift from God. My daughter wanted to share her most precious gift: time with one another. I thought I’d share our Gift Exchange.
Kwanzaa is a seven day celebration to recognized African Heritage from December 26 to January 1. It was created by Maulana Karenga. Kwanzaa has seven days, symbols, and candles with an array of colors all with a meaning and purpose. I first set up the décor, like my Christmas Tree and Nativity. Then, I gather the following:
- Mazao (The Crops) A fruit basket symbolizes the labor, our jobs.
- Mkeka (The Mat) A woven place mat symbolizes foundation.
- Kinara (The Candle Holder) The kinara represents roots. Pinterest has awesome ideas. I will be using clear volute candle holders so I can see the colors of red, black, and green.
- Mishumaa Saba (The Seven Candles) There are three candles that are red (for the struggle of the African ancestors), three that are green (for the land of Africa), and one black (for people of African and African Americans). This is not about race but a shared teaching about my/a culture. Anyone and everyone are welcome to participate. The candles also represent the seven principles, which guides us to the activities we will do as a family.
- Muhindi (The Corn) The Corn is just that, so I have seven ears of corn to represent each of my children.
- Kikombe Cha U’moja (The Unity Cup) This glass will be a project we do together because it symbolize unity.
- Zawadi (The Gifts) The gift is love. A special activity time on Christmas as a family.
The Exchange
Day One – Umoja: Unity
Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.
I Corinthians 12:12
On this night, we will do an art project together. Taking a glass goblet, we will hot glue some strung beads. Each strand will represent a person in the family. My beads will blue and red with unicorn charms. I will also pick some beads to represent my love of God. You can do your birthstone as well. So, you get the idea… many parts, but one body.
A black candle is lit and placed in the center of the red and green candles.
Day Two – Kujichagulia: Self-Determination
I haven’t seen Harriet (Tubman) yet so this day will be Movie Night. The movie talks about her escape from slavery and the freedom of other slaves due to her courage, integrity, and determination. I also want to add the Passion of Christ. The movie gives an emotional picture of what He gave to save us.
Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.
John 12:27
With enough research, you can find many movies and documentaries that can inspire your own courage, integrity, and determination.
A red candle, on the far left, is lit.
Day Three – Ujima: Collective Work and Responsibility
The definition of ujima is “to build and maintain our community together and make our brother’s and sister’s problems our problems and to solve them together”. TCB is very much a part of the community. With the help of our family and friends, TCB will have a Christmas Gathering. It will be a night of games, cocoa, and cookies.
But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
I Corinthians 12:24-26
A green candle, on the far right, is lit.
Day Four – Ujamaa: Cooperative Economics
This day is about sharing our wealth. We will spend the day shopping not for us, but someone special. I attended the gym at the YMCA and I noticed an Angel Tree. Together, we will pick a child from the tree, shop, and return the items to that tree. And yes, we will purchase a box, gift wrap, and a large bow.
On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Matthew 2:11
A red candle, second to the left, is lit.
Day Five – Nia: Purpose
This means the building and developing of our community. Our pastor, Pastor Phillip Rawls, always reminds us of several core values in Freedom Church. One is: “an empty seat is a serious matter”
Every chair represents a life that can be changed through the freedom given by Jesus. We see an empty chair as motivation to reach more souls until filled. And after being filled, we get more chairs to reach more people because this is a serious matter.
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself
Galatians 5:14
We want to go out into the community and share the Word and invite them to attend a church service. Do people still sing carols? And yes, I do want give a special invite to my friends and family to the Freedom Church of Jacksonville’s Sunday Christmas Service. Jesus is the reason for the season.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
Luke 2:11
This Christmas, I hope that you will take time to know the true meaning of Christmas.
A green candle, the second to the right, is lit.
Day Six – Kuumba: Creativity
On this day, we will come together to build Gingerbread houses, but the meaning of the word Kuumba is to build a vibrant community. I think I learn that best through the Word/Bible. I love the story of the houses. Jesus told a story about two men: one who built his house on a rock and the other built his house on sand. The house built on the rock got through the storm, and he was called wise. The other house was built on the sand and it fell during the storm and he was called foolish. We know that when we build gingerbread house, it will soon crumble and fall just like sand. But if we take the time to build on the rock, who is Jesus, we gain eternal life. Anyone who hears these words of God and puts them into practice becomes like the wise man building his house/soul on the rock. We want to build a life and foundation in Jesus.
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
James 1:22
A red candle, the third or last left, is lit.
Christmas Eve – Imani: Faith
Faith is to believe, with all our heart, in one another and the righteousness and victory of the struggle. My family likes to take an evening drive to the lights. A couple of years ago we did a boat tour to see the lights. This year, I would like to do the trolley in Saint Augustine. On the tour we will carry a snack and a traveling mug of hot chocolate. The lights are also a reminder of that special star in the Bible: the star of Bethlehem, a guide to Christ. As we tour the lights, I pray we all become the light we need to be.
I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.
John 8:12
A green candle, the third or last right, is lit.
Kwanzaa usually ends with, Zawadi, an exchange of gifts, but instead we make a Scrapbook of all our activities on Christmas Day. And we appreciate the greatest gift of all, the birth of Jesus.
The Birth of Jesus Christ
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
The Shepherds and the AngelsAnd in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Luke 2:1-21
And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
May God Bless You and Yours This Christmas, 2019
