Non-consumer Christmas - Your #1 Choice for Local News

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By Caylin Milligan,

Exclusive Reporter and Columnist for
The NavCo Chronicle.

There is something about daylight savings time that signals to my brain that Christmas is approaching. Seeing all the taillights glow in the dark as evening traffic hits the streets, I am reminded of childhood memories of dashing from store to store to get everything needed to prepare for the holidays. I get a familiar feeling of exciting anticipation of the Christmas festivities in the upcoming months. The world has begun to sparkle and there is a spark in my heart.
It is about the same time that I am bombarded with advertisements trying to sell me everything from this year’s hottest gifts to the newest kitchen invention promising to make my holiday meal a splendor for all to see. Social media is full of picture-perfect, decorated homes and the newest fashion to wear to holiday parties. It all looks so beautiful and, before I know it, I am trying to figure out how to fit it all in and get all the things I think I need to make this Christmas truly special.

Suddenly, the tree that filled my family with such delight last year is drab and without enough lights. I must buy trendy toys, or my children may feel unloved come Christmas morning. I need to schedule an extravagant family Christmas photo shoot; which means that we all need new clothes and I must have the perfect shade of Christmas Crimson nails. Then there are the festive pajamas and Instagram worthy Christmas dinner preparations. The cards. The candles. The kitchen towels with a holiday pun and Rudolph’s likeness on the front lawn. Are you dizzy yet? I know I am.
It can be so tempting to be pulled into the trap of desiring all the things that glitter this time of year. Holiday magic is on display for all to see on the screens of your phones and tv. I cannot log in to social media without being pulled into an Amazon ad promising me the perfect look this winter or an influencer in their aesthetic farmhouse and inviting fire pit telling me that I can have it too if I just follow these three easy steps. But not all things that glitter are gold.

This year has been particularly difficult for my holiday spending habits. It is the first Christmas I have been a stay-at-home mom; and though I am delighted to spend every day with my children, learning new spending habits has been a challenge to say the least. Regardless of whether you are a one- or two-income family, everyone is feeling the squeeze this year from inflating prices and a pay scale that fails to keep up. So how do you fight the holiday blues that can creep in when your bank account doesn’t match what the world is selling you this season?

The writer of Psalm 119 has the perfect solution when they wrote “Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to covetousness. Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things and revive me in your way.” (verses 36-37 NKJ). Worthless may be a harsh word, but I argue that it is a good description of all the stuff that is presented with a big bow by the advertising gurus. They know how to make the products look appealing, but truly it is all worthless. The children will stop playing with the toys and outgrow the pajamas. The kitchen towels will accumulate stains. The family pictures may hang on the wall for a season, but they too will fade over time. There is only one thing during Christmas that will always remain and that is the reason we celebrate to begin with. The birth of a baby, wholly man and wholly God, who would ultimately become our savior through the selfless act of giving up himself to the cross for our sins. That is a truth that cannot be dulled by time or new trends. It is a truth that stands for eternity, and it is the only thing worth staking our holiday festivities on. Not the illusion of a perfect holiday brought to you by delivery trucks.

The psalmist here admits to a temptation of wanting the things of the world. He finds that troubling and goes to the Father for a revival of the soul. It is a comfort to know that because I too struggle with coveting what I can’t have and the sadness that sometimes accompanies it. The truth is the high that comes from purchasing something promising to make my holiday better is short lived and soon I am searching for something better.

This season, I am choosing to follow the example of the writer of Psalm 119 and go to my God for a revival. I am giving up my fleshly desires for the pre purchased Christmas magic and asking God to reveal the true glory that is his son, Jesus Christ, to me and my family. My prayer is that this Christmas would feel more special than any of the others because the focus is more on the greatest gift for all time than the hottest gift for this year. My prayer is that this Christmas would feel more like peace on earth and good will towards men than any Christmas filled with twinkling lights and singing snowmen.

Regardless of what your financial situation is, every family will benefit when the focus is placed more on Christ than the tinsel and twinkle. The greatest gift you can give to others is loving as Jesus loves. I am excited to begin this journey of reconnecting with my savior this holiday season. I know he will be faithful to revive my soul and my family, and my prayer is that he would do the same for you and yours.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Caylin Milligan is a life long resident of Navarro County. She lives in the country with her husband of 15 years and their children. Her hobbies include reading, birdwatching, and watching old movies with her husband. She also has had a successful career as an emergency dispatcher for the Corsicana Police Department. She identifies as a servant of Christ and has a passion for women’s ministry. She aspires to be an encouragement to women through her writing and personal testimony.