It is December and Christmas is hovering in the corner whispering insistent questions like: “Did you get presents for everyone on your list?” (I think so.) Are they wrapped? (Nope.) Did you send out your cards yet? (Me neither) Did you get the Christmas baking done? Are all the decorations in place? Did you mark the office Christmas party on your calendar? Do you just want to sit in front of the Christmas tree with an eggnog have a good cry? (Me too!)
Don’t get me wrong. I love Christmas. It is just that it comes at the most inconvenient time of the year. Who decided it should occur in the middle of cold and flu season, anyway? And it always comes at the end of the year. If your year has been like mine, there were ups and downs attacking sometimes simultaneously at blindingly breakneck speed.
Most of us looking back will notice some successes and failures, and both took their emotional toll. We gave it our all, and now it seems “they” want more. (Whoever they are.)
Take a breath. Let’s reevaluate. If this time of year is hectic for us it means we are surrounded by people we love. They could be our biological family, or the family that we built for ourselves over the years, or most likely a combination of both. It is a wonderful thing to love and be loved.
It doesn’t matter what your religious beliefs are. Humans are hard-wired to rejoice at the birth of a baby. Universally it gives us a sign that we are meant to go on, persevere, and ultimately triumph.
Like the star on the top of the city Christmas tree, it is the beacon reaching out to us saying don’t lose hope. All is not lost.
“Weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning…” Psalm 30.5 has long been one of my favorites. Someone also pointed out that the most often used phrase in the Bible was, “And it came to pass…”
If you’re going through a rough patch, hold on. It won’t last. Nothing does. And if you’re going through wonderfully joyous time, savor it, because it too will not last. I find that comforting. If we screw something up, we can fix it. If we live in the present, will find more joy than not.
May the blessings of this holiday season be with you and yours. I am feeling mightily blessed. I have my faith, my family, and my friends, and I would not trade my place with Kings!