You Know What I Got for Christmas a Crushed Soul
"But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring y'all proficient news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been built-in to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.'" Luke ii:10-11 (NIV)
"Mom, it but doesn't 'feel' like Christmas."
These were the words my immature girl spoke as she looked at me with a discouraged expression on her face up. We were in the midst of the busy vacation season, but in her eye, it didn't "feel" like Christmas at all.
She was no longer a little girl excitedly awaiting the morn she could open up her presents while whirling through a carefree flavour of twinkling lights, Christmas copse, baking and shopping.
The magic of babyhood innocence was gone, and the wisdom of adolescence had kicked in. Just worst of all, our lives had been turned upside down when my marriage of 26 years abruptly fell autonomously just a couple months before the holiday season. Not only did I empathize her crushed Christmas spirit, I shared it.
As much every bit nosotros tried to conduct out our normal seasonal activities, Christmas but didn't feel the same for me or my iii children. Our family unit didn't look the aforementioned as it always had. There were more tears than laughter. More agonized sadness than holiday joy. More new problems to handle, and less enjoyment of the old traditions nosotros had all grown to know and beloved. More fear and less hope.
I hugged my daughter tightly and reminded her, and myself, that fifty-fifty though life was messy and painful in the moment, we needed to endeavour to intentionally redirect our thoughts from our problems to the manger and recall the hope Jesus' birth brings.
Together, we decided to focus on the all the blessings we still had, not just the ones we had lost, and find joy in the footling things through the strength of Christ alone. We committed to hang on to hope and recall that Christmas spirit must come up from Christ, non our external circumstances.
In the Christmas story, nosotros read about this hope of hope, "Merely the affections said to them, 'Do non be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause neat joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord'" (Luke two:ten-xi). Most believers know this pop passage well, but in the face of great pain, suffering and arduousness, we often forget the meaning, even at Christmas. Heartache, grief, pain or anger can easily cause the states to lose sight of the fact that this is the season we celebrate God sending His Son to pace into the mess of our lives and so we can accept hope and joy, no thing what.
This year has certainly not been easy for anyone with all the difficult events happening in our globe. But possibly this year has been fifty-fifty harder because of personal situations.
Maybe you have experienced separation and divorce too, and not only is your center broken, but you fear not being with family unit or children during the holidays.
Possibly you've endured the painful loss of a loved i, and your holiday looks much different this year likewise.
Maybe the kids accept all grown up and moved on, and your Christmas feels solitary and unfamiliar.
Possibly you've lost a chore this yr, and the stress of trying to beget Christmas at all feels overwhelming.
Whatever the reason, if your Christmas spirit feels crushed, and you're defective joy and feeling void of hope, retrieve that although life continually changes, Jesus and His love for us never does. Redirecting our thoughts to focus on the hope and joy available to united states of america because of His holy nascence can restore the most broken spirit.
It's been five years since our lives drastically changed and since I had that teary conversation with my girl. What I learned during that kickoff hard holiday season, and in the years that have followed, is that promise and joy take to come from who Jesus is all the fourth dimension, not from a month on the agenda. Our level of Christmas spirit will e'er depend on where nosotros are looking for it.
Dear Lord, You know the heaviness of my eye this Christmas. Please help me refocus on You and the fact that You lot sent Your Son to this globe as a baby so I could live with hope despite my circumstances. Refresh my Christmas spirit, and infuse me with the joy I long to have. In Jesus' Proper noun, Amen.
TRUTH FOR TODAY
2 Corinthians 4:xviii, "Then nosotros don't look at the troubles we can encounter at present; rather, nosotros fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will before long be gone, but the things we cannot encounter will terminal forever." (NLT)
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Subscribe to Tracie's web log and receive a beautiful PDF with ten tips for reigniting your Christmas spirit. Also expect for her holiday post on Instagram and Facebook, and enter to win ane of two iii-book bundles which would brand a great Christmas souvenir for someone you lot love who is going through a difficult fourth dimension!
REFLECT AND RESPOND
What tin you practise today to redirect your thoughts to the hope and joy constitute in Christ rather than focusing on your circumstances? We'd honey to hear your ideas in the comments!
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Source: https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2020/12/16/when-your-christmas-spirit-is-crushed
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