Homeschooling During the Holidays: Give the Gift of Grace This Holiday Season
Are you a plan-ahead shopper? Or a last-minute gift giver?
When it comes to holiday shopping styles, I tend to fall somewhere in the middle.
When my son, nieces, and nephews were much younger, I tended to start my shopping during the after-holiday season sales when I could grab great bargains and then stash them in secret hiding places around the house until the following year.
I have also been on both sides of the aisle when it comes to Black Friday shopping, first as a cashier and years later as a customer.
(Truth be told, I am a fan of neither these days.)
While many remain cool as a cucumber, unaffected by the common calamities that co-occur with throwing themselves into the buying bonanza, I will be the first to admit, that I struggle, mainly with traffic. It brings out my inner Hyde but I digress.
It is during these times, when I am not the best version of myself, that I have to remind myself to embrace grace.
The Perfect Present
Searching for the perfect gift for a loved one can feel like a challenge. When attempting to pick out the perfect present, we consider many things. Hobbies and interests, likes and dislikes, and of course, wants and needs.
Yet, so many of us, myself included, forget to give one gift that is needed most of all.
Although the initial cost was quite high, it is free to all who are willing to receive it.
The debt was paid long before any of us were born.
The gift?
Grace.
No Greater Gift
The greatest gift anyone could ever receive is grace. Bought with the blood of our Savior Jesus Christ, grace is priceless.
And for that, I am so thankful.
While I strive to continue to learn and grow in my faith, I feel I fall short more often than I succeed
I have human moments, raw and real, where I am anything BUT salt and light. I am flawed. I am human.
But I am also fearfully and wonderfully made in my Creator’s image.
And so are you.
Conviction Over Condemnation
I write this post with the hope of conveying conviction, not condemnation. Dear reader, I direct these words as much inward as outward. I am always learning, always growing. I stumble. I fall. But I get back up. And I will continue to do so until the day my Heavenly Father calls me home.
The Holy Spirit convicts us, inspiring us to seek out God’s Word, make changes within ourselves, and then witness outwardly to the world the Word of God.
The enemy condemns us, shaming us in an attempt to make us unwilling to admit our wrongdoing, unable to change, and ultimately unworthy of God’s love. Steal, kill, and destroy.
Thank heavens for grace!
How To Give (and Receive) the Gift of Grace This Holiday Season
It sounds simple enough. Yet, I have found that when under duress, it is often the simplest things that are the hardest to accomplish.
The excitement of the holiday season can be overwhelming.
In the hustle and bustle of all the things, it is easy to lose sight of the real reason for the season. Nerves fray and tempers flare with the scrambling of shopping trips and the honking of horns in holiday traffic.
When you feel your inner Hyde poking you to let him out for a playdate, PAUSE to PRAY.
Follow the Rule of 5.
Set a timer for 5 minutes. Breathe in slowly through your nose to the count of 5. Hold for 5 seconds. Exhale slowly out your mouth for 5 seconds. Repeat until the timer dings.
As part of your breathing, choose a favorite but brief piece of scripture to meditate on as you breathe. Some of my favorites are Isaiah 26:3, 2 Corinthians 9:8, 2 Timothy 1:9, and 2 Corinthians 12:9 to name a few.
This Pause and Pray technique is a powerful tool for old and young alike. It is one of my favorite tools in my emotional regulation toolbox for our homeschool.
Now that you have your emotions in check you are ready to give and receive grace.
Modeling Grace
How do you handle yourself when you are under pressure?
Do you give grace when in a moment of humanness the other person tests your boundaries?
Maybe you judge. Or, worse, retaliate.
What about when you are the one who makes a misstep?
Do you beat yourself up?
Condemn yourself when a gentle conviction is far more appropriate.
There is a sign in our homeschool classroom that reads, “We live by grace, not perfection.” I hung it there for myself years ago and I read it daily. While I am not quite where I want to be, with each recitation of this manta, I feel my character expand a tiny bit more—always learning, always growing.
Apologize and forgive.
Give, and receive, the greatest gift of all.
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Blessings,
Kimberly Bennett, LPC
Founder/CEO, The Homeschool Counseling Network Inc.
This website is not a professional counseling website and nothing here should be construed as professional counseling advice. Although Kimberly Bennett, LPC is a Licensed Professional Counselor, she is not your counselor, and no counselor-client relationship is established unless she has signed an agreement with you. All information provided through this website is for informational and educational purposes only.
