Luke 2:10, “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”
The angels were bringing good news and great joy, but if we are not careful Christmas can feel like anything but.
If Christmas still holds for you child-like delight, I’m thrilled. But for many it can all too often be a holiday horror, or a year end buzz kill, especially after the last couple of years of dealing with Covid. Just sayin.
A couple of decades ago, I was in the bank in the middle of the holiday mayhem and to some poor unsuspecting bank teller the words, “I hate Christmas,” flew out of my mouth before I could catch them. I realized how sad this was. It was tragic, but true.
As a kid, I always wished for a Christmas that wasn’t dysfunctional. My mom waited tables, so she had to work, and most holidays were lonely and uneventful. Now that I was an adult, that wasn’t the case. Yet, I had let the holiday rat race make a rat out of me!
That was it! I made up my mind to LET THE LIGHT OF THE SEASON LIGHT UP MY PATH.
I knew I couldn’t make that happen without the presence and help of the Holy Spirit. So, I decided to seek God in quiet moments away from the fray, and you know how hard that is during the holidays. Right?
Isaiah 30:15 says “For the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, says: Only in returning to me and waiting for me will you be saved; in quietness and confidence is your strength,” TLB.
If we are going to get those quiet moments with the Lord, it won’t happen in the midst of the shopping, cooking, wrapping, decorating, and the list goes on. But we can have them when we sit in His presence and reflect His glory, and see His face.
God invites us to see His face so that He can change ours. (I can’t remember who to credit for this quote, but I love it.)
We won’t find those calming moments in a crowded mall or a bustling party, negotiating horrific traffic, or elbowing our way thru the grocery store trying to score the last box of stove stuffing, turkey flavor!
But we can if we are intentional. I try to make time every morning to sit with my coffee by the lights of the Christmas tree, open a devotional, quiet my heart, and read and pray. Prayer isn’t just me talking. It’s listening as well. (Check out my last post about Hearing God’s Voice.)
I know with all the holiday hustle, it won’t happen every day, but if I can get four quiet-time sessions out of the seven days in a week, I can find the light and not be over-run by the stress of the season. Then hopefully I can reflect that light and not unload my stress on some innocent bystander.
I pray that the light of season, the real meaning of what Christmas is all about fills you with peace and joy this year.
Lovin’ Jesus and you,
https://www.lindanewtonspeaks.com