Try Something New!
As December approaches, many families will bring out their “Advent” calendars—those small, numbered boxes, drawers, or pockets filled with tiny surprises leading up to Christmas Day. Each day holds a little gift or a treat. Having just feasted on Thanksgiving week, it got me to thinking. What if this year we reversed the idea? What if, instead of receiving something each day, we gave something?
This year, consider creating an Advent Calendar of Thanks—a daily practice of offering God a small “gift” of praise. Instead of opening a box to find a treat, open a box and place something inside: have each family member make a handwritten note naming one thing they are prayerfully thankful to God for that day.
It could be a blessing, a person, a moment of mercy, an answered prayer, a lesson learned, or even a struggle that God is carrying you through. Big or small, joyful or quiet—each note becomes a personal offering of gratitude to the One who gives us every good thing.
By Christmas morning, your Advent calendar will not be filled with chocolates or trinkets, but with 25 or more simple, heartfelt expressions of thanksgiving—a beautiful reflection of God’s faithfulness throughout the month. On Christmas Day, the family could open the boxes, read and share together these gifts of praise to the Lord.
This practice helps shift our hearts from the hurry of the season to the holiness of God. It teaches us to see God’s goodness in everyday moments. And it reminds us that Christmas is not just about receiving gifts wrapped in paper, but about the gift of God’s presence and Spirit in our lives.
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above…” — James 1:17
May this special month be filled with gratitude, worship, and a renewed awareness of God’s blessings.
–Les Keele
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