Looking for a Path Well-Worn
Written by Britt Faris
This is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Jeremiah 6:16
Amos is my second son. He is a marvelous delight and he is wild. He is also often the answer to any number of questions in our home. Who left a sippy cup of milk in the toy kitchen’s oven? Amos. That trail of rice that loops around the house from the dinner table to the front door? Amos. The artist responsible for the masterpiece Brown Crayola on Plaster #2 installed just below the kitchen lightswitch? Amos. He is young and curious and frequently the answer to a question.
Last year at Christmas, however, Amos was decidedly not the answer to the question. We had traveled to South Carolina to celebrate Christmas with my family. In the days leading up to December 25th my kids had decorated Christmas cookies, sung Christmas songs, attended a Christmas show, and assembled every Christmas craft under the sun. So imagine my surprise when I overheard my mom excitedly ask my older son, “Who has a birthday tomorrow?” only to be met with a blank stare and complete silence. Attempting once more, she reminded LaReau, “Tomorrow is Christmas. Who has a birthday on Christmas?”
LaReau must have sensed that a second blank stare would not suffice because he shrugged his shoulders and, wholly unbothered, responded, “Uhhhhhhh Amos?” before carrying on his way.
“Uhhhhhhh Amos?” It was not exactly the manifestation of the Christmas spirit or childlike wonder we were hoping to cultivate throughout the month of December.
Both then and now, that little interaction has made me laugh. LeReau is, after all, just a little boy. It has also made me think more deeply about how to communicate the meaning of Christmas to our small sons. (You know, beyond just setting the record straight that it is not in fact Amos’s birthday.) The words of Andrew Peterson, a musician who gets a lot of play in our house, have served as both a great reminder and encouragement in how to pursue that end.
In a song titled “All Things New” he echoes the prophet Jeremiah when he sings, “Hold onto the promise. The stories are true that Jesus makes all things new.” I love the imagery of looking for a path well-worn by believers for thousands of years and joining them in believing that the promises made so long ago are true today. The way I will be able to teach my sons the meaning of Christmas is ultimately no different than the way that I will remember it myself: we will tell ourselves the story, ask for the ancient path where the way is good, and, as we remember the birth of Jesus along with all that it means for us, find rest for our souls. Merry Christmas!
Last year at Christmas, however, Amos was decidedly not the answer to the question. We had traveled to South Carolina to celebrate Christmas with my family. In the days leading up to December 25th my kids had decorated Christmas cookies, sung Christmas songs, attended a Christmas show, and assembled every Christmas craft under the sun. So imagine my surprise when I overheard my mom excitedly ask my older son, “Who has a birthday tomorrow?” only to be met with a blank stare and complete silence. Attempting once more, she reminded LaReau, “Tomorrow is Christmas. Who has a birthday on Christmas?”
LaReau must have sensed that a second blank stare would not suffice because he shrugged his shoulders and, wholly unbothered, responded, “Uhhhhhhh Amos?” before carrying on his way.
“Uhhhhhhh Amos?” It was not exactly the manifestation of the Christmas spirit or childlike wonder we were hoping to cultivate throughout the month of December.
Both then and now, that little interaction has made me laugh. LeReau is, after all, just a little boy. It has also made me think more deeply about how to communicate the meaning of Christmas to our small sons. (You know, beyond just setting the record straight that it is not in fact Amos’s birthday.) The words of Andrew Peterson, a musician who gets a lot of play in our house, have served as both a great reminder and encouragement in how to pursue that end.
In a song titled “All Things New” he echoes the prophet Jeremiah when he sings, “Hold onto the promise. The stories are true that Jesus makes all things new.” I love the imagery of looking for a path well-worn by believers for thousands of years and joining them in believing that the promises made so long ago are true today. The way I will be able to teach my sons the meaning of Christmas is ultimately no different than the way that I will remember it myself: we will tell ourselves the story, ask for the ancient path where the way is good, and, as we remember the birth of Jesus along with all that it means for us, find rest for our souls. Merry Christmas!
Reflective Question for the Day
Is there an aspect about the promise of Jesus’s birth fulfilled
that brings you hope or peace this Advent season?
Britt Faris loves to walk any and all Christmas lights with her husband, Andrew, and their two small children. She also loves to celebrate with family on Christmas Eve like a good Scandinavian. She loved reading The Techwise Family this year and a number of parenting books to help guide-but-not-squash the big, fantastic personalities being raised in her house.