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Week 2 – All About Love
Hope. Love. Joy. Peace. Just reading the words actually can fill me with those very emotions! Advent seems a little extra special this year. And I think people are longing for and truly waiting for the fulfillment of what these words mean.
Last week we talked about hope – something that makes life better, and shared some conversations starters and a downloadable Christmas ornament with you. If you missed it, you can read it here. Each week we’ll be adding an ornament, so by the time Christmas arrives, you and your grandkids will have a full set!
While Advent is traditionally celebrated on the Sunday’s before Christmas, we know that scheduling time with your grandkids (especially if you are a long distance grandparent) can be pretty hard! So we think there is a little grace as to which days you have these times observing Advent together.
What does love mean?
Now, back to this week. It’s All About Love. In our world we definitely talk about love in relationship to our family, but we also toss that word around pretty easily – we love to travel, we love pizza, and we love getting a great parking spot!
I think love is a little more special and unconditional than that. In fact, I found some definitions of love in an article entitled “What Does Love Mean?” where professionals posed that very question to some children. Their answers just make my heart overflow!
Here are just a few of their responses.
“When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.” Billy – age 4
“When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you (what an image!).” Karen – age 7
“Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.” Elaine – age 5
“Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.” Bobby – age 7
I think Bobby is right on. As you light the Love Candle this week, you can have a great conversation about what it looks like to love people.
And if you are reading scripture you might use the passage from the book of Luke chapter 2, verses 1-7 . This familiar passage of God’s plan to send His son is often read during Christmas. It’s the part of the Christmas story where Mary and Joseph head for Bethlehem. It is time for the baby to be born, and they discover there is no room for them. And yet, even in the midst of the chaos they are provided a place of shelter and refuge, and Jesus, God’s gift to mankind, is born. Could it be that even in the midst of the chaos in our present world that this Christmas we too might find ‘shelter’ as we receive God’s love and also provide a type of shelter for others as we give love to them?
I’ll be sharing the story with Morgan a little something like this: “While Mary and Joseph were waiting for the time Jesus would be born, they found out that they must go to Joseph’s home town. When they got there, there were no hotels – there was no place at all for them to stay. And Baby Jesus was about to be born! Finally, they were told that they could stay in a stable – kind of like a barn or a cave. It was in this cave that Jesus was born. Mary wrapped him in strips of cloth, and then laid him carefully in a manger full of hay. Mary and Joseph loved Jesus very much, and Jesus loved them too!”
Love Conversation Starters
We hope you have a great time talking with your grandkids about what love looks like! Here are some conversation starters for your time together:
What does love mean?
How does love make you feel?
Can we show love to others who don’t look or share the same ideas we do?
How can you (your family) show love to others this week?
Our Love Advent ornament for the week is included in the free advent download. If you don’t have yours yet, you can get it for free below! Have fun decorating it while you chat with your grandkids. Then watch your inbox for Week 3 – It’s All About Joy.
Bonus Activity:
In addition to the weekly Advent ornament, here’s a fun activity for your time together. Coordinate with your grandchild’s parents before your time together and have them gather materials to cut out and decorate a heart for Christmas. (You can make one for your home too!) Then at dinner each night this week, pass the heart around and allow each person to share acts of love that they witnessed that day.