For most, it seems that 2020 has been anything but hopeful, peaceful, joyful, or loving. This year has been full of unexpected circumstances, grief, racial unrest, political division, and so much loss. So much loss grieved.
We do not always get the opportunity to decide our circumstances,
yet we always get to determine how we live through those circumstances.
You may be hoping for a Merry Christmas kind of inspiration, but as we sit by the fires, with trees all a glow, what better time to pause and reflect? Let’s consider this holiday, not as a story of history but a reminder of how to live well this beautiful life we have. It is so important that we not run from this year, ignoring the grief and challenging things. It is also essential that we not carry that which we do not need into a new year.
Maybe like me, you find your fists closed tight, your jaw clenched, and you carry all this weight on your shoulders. Perhaps while you sing Joy to the World, you desperately long for joy. Or while Silent Night plays in the background, your head spins with thoughts and worries, anything but silent. The good news is that we don’t have to stay in that space. We can sit by our fires or under trees bright and remember who was born on that Christmas Night.
The Christmas story is the most extraordinary love story: A gift of hope.
Christmas is a reminder that real joy is not found in our circumstances,
and peace can exist even amid unrest.
Take a moment and breathe in deep. Tightly clench your fist and then release, open your hands and imagine laying all your worries aside. Breathe deep and feel your jaw relax, unclenching teeth. Pull your shoulders up close to your ears, and then relax them. Feel the weight drop.
What grief do you need to process or lay down?
What unexpected gifts do you need to accept?
As you reflect and process, remember:
- The most extraordinary love story was written for each of us.
- Joy is often found in the unexpected when we embrace the gifts as they come.
- The prince of peace came to give us inner peace and show us how to live as peacemakers.
- There is always hope, even when we can’t see it. We can choose to live it.
This Christmas may not look like other Christmas seasons past. There may be loved ones missing from your table, travel plans canceled, the gifts may feel small. Whatever this #pandemiclife holiday season has looked like, I pray that you have had an opportunity to find unexpected joy, hope in action, peacemakers, and active love scattered throughout your days.
