Creating enjoyment for your family

On Sunday the 13th of January this New Year, a member of my household kept putting pressure on me about when we shall remove the Christmas decorations and dismantle the Christmas tree in our home in Lagos. Somebody nearby wanted to know why the interest in dismantling the Christmas tree. My reply was that the child asking that question knows that a party will accompany the dismantling of the Christmas tree. The day the Christmas tree and decorations were put in place, it was accompanied with a party.

The whole household gathered in the parlour downstairs to witness the official switching on of the Christmas lights and to officially declare the Christmas season open. That was the first week of December 2018. As with my family tradition, the Christmas season was supposed to also be closed with the switching off of the Christmas lights and accompanied by a party. The party that ended the Christmas season on the 13th of January had to be brief, because some of them still schooling were to resume school the next day. Everyone was so busy that evening, but as the custodian of the family’s joy culture (which should be the responsibility of the daddy of the home), I was able to mobilise everybody. It was getting late, but we were able to have a party that lasted for about fifteen minutes. What kind of party is that that lasts for fifteen minutes? You may want to know. Oh, we called it wine party. We simply brought two bottles of wine (non-alcoholic), poured into seventeen cups on the central table. We nominated two comperes among ourselves who took charge of the proceedings. We sang a Christmas song, danced and sang the last Christmas hymn of the season “Joy to the world”. After this, my wife Carol went to officially switch the Christmas lights off amidst a lot of joyful noise. We clicked glasses, toasted and prayed for the next Christmas season. After that, we marched to the dining room for dinner. The next day, the Christmas trees in the different parts of the house were removed.

I have gone to this length to explain what happened that evening so that you, my dear reader, will know that it is not costly to organise a family party; so that you will know that it is not costly to create joy for your family. We have had chicken pepper soup parties, suya parties, etc. We’ve had breakfast parties, which we call tea party. All these are outside birthday parties and wedding anniversary parties, which we can decide to make low key or elaborate. Early in our marriage when we could not easily afford wine due to our income level, we organised monthly “B and G” parties (banana and groundnut party). You can decide to enjoy your life, no matter the income group you belong. You can deliberately decide to create enjoyment for your family, even if your income level is very low. You can deliberately decide to create enjoyment for your family if you are rich. I have seen poor families live in peace and joy. Ecclesiastes 5:18 says, “It is good… for one to eat and to drink and to ENJOY the good of all his labour”. So, whether you are rich or poor, you can decide to create joy for your family. 1 Timothy 6:17 tells us that God gave us “richly all things to enjoy”. In this New Year, may the fathers and mothers of families deliberately create the time to create enjoyment and happiness for their families. Love you.