16 December 2014

Jesus, Santa, and Service for Christmas


Actress Candace Cameron Bure, who grew up on television playing D.J. Tanner on the hit sitcom Full House, knows first-hand that you can create a Christ-centered Christmas for kids while still enjoying Santa Claus and the commercial aspects of the holiday. That's exactly what she does with her three children because it reflects how her celebration of Christmas has evolved through the years.
 
During a recent interview on Christopher Closeup to discuss both the Christmas movies in which she stars on the Hallmark Channel along with her book Balancing It All: My Story of Juggling Priorities and Purpose, Bure said, "Christmas for us growing up as kids was about Santa and presents, and also serving because charity has always been important to my family, particularly to my mom, who modeled that so well. We definitely were taught the 'giving' part of the season."
 
It wasn't until a conversion experience years later that Bure fully appreciated the fact that Christmas was about the birth of the Savior. Now she incorporates the best of both worlds into life with her husband, former hockey star Valeri Bure, and their children Natasha, Maksim and Lev.
 
Bure said, "As a mom, I make sure the season is really focused around Christ, but I still love the commercialism of Christmas too! I think it’s wonderful, and I think that you can do both! With our kids over the years, we scaled way back on presents and told them, 'It's just not about this; Christ gives us a gift.' And the saying is so true, 'It's better to give than receive.' I love watching my kids on Christmas morning when one of them has saved up their money and they give their brother a Christmas present. The joy of giving is almost bigger than the one receiving."
 
There's one tradition that's especially important to the Bures: "For us as a family, we started serving at a shelter on Christmas morning. We wake up at about 5 a.m. and, with some other family members and friends, we go to a local shelter that has about 40 or 50 people staying there. We bring breakfast and we cook it there for them and then we sit down and we eat, share stories and listen to them and encourage them. For us it's about giving back first, and then coming home and having the traditional present-opening at our house and then a big family Christmas dinner with all of our relatives."
 
Jesus isn't just someone Bure talks about at Christmas time, but someone she makes time for every day. She said, "The busier you are, it's easy to put [God] at the bottom of your list. I don't and I won't. I make time to read my Bible. I just read the Bible this morning with the kids. Before going to school, at 6:45, we all sat on the couch and read a chapter of Corinthians. We talk about it about 15 minutes before school, but it sets your day."
 
Ultimately, everything comes back to being humble before God for Bure. When asked how she moves forward in hope during times of darkness, she said, "It's on my knees, literally. I have my prayer spot in my room right by my bed. And [I use it] every day, not just when times get bad. When you have that ongoing relationship and dialogue with God, I think that, overall, you will just be calmer and more peaceful, even in difficult times."
 
(This essay is a recent “Light One Candle” column, written by Tony Rossi, of The Christophers; it is one of a series of weekly columns that deal with a variety of topics and current events.)
 
Background information:
 

No comments:

Post a Comment