December 2020. It has a feeling all its own, doesn’t it?
The chocolate advent calendar hosts a growing number of open windows and all sources retail attack our thoughts with Christmas bargains and holiday “must-haves”. The radio blares familiar carols, but the air is anything but festive.
My mood drips disappointment. Is it just me? Or do you feel a lack of hope, of vision for the future? We’re living in an uncertain time; that much is true. Covid-19 really has done a number on us, hasn’t it?
This year has been marked by isolation, death, job loss, business loss, education loss, and the loss of freedoms we once took for granted in this country. Much to grieve.
We bustle around preparing for the holidays while deep inside every one of us, there’s an ache. A hole. Something is missing. We try to fill it with retail therapy, the quest for the perfect gift. We distract ourselves with social media, quiet the relentless yearning with succulent treats and another egg nog. But in the quiet, we’re still empty. Hollow.
Listen, sister, there is hope.
In the darkest of times, God sent his perfect Son into the world. A bright light in smothering, dense darkness. And because of Jesus, we can have a relationship with God himself.
God who loves us beyond measure, who never leaves us, who perfectly fills that void. God who promises JOY.
So as we venture into the busyness (or loneliness) of Christmas, here are three “Finding Joy” suggestions from me.
- Live in the moment. Enjoy the beauty directly before you. Maybe that’s twinkling lights, the smell of apple cider, or the cozy warm blanket you’re snuggled under.
- Laugh. Watch a funny video or ask a kid to tell you a joke and pretend it’s funny with uproarious laughter.
- Love on someone. Watch closely for someone who needs a kind word or help each day. . Ask God to give you an opportunity and go for it! Journal what happens.
Remember, God sent his Son into a dark, hurting world to be our Rescue. And only in Him, we can finally find peace.
May you experience true Joy this Christmas.
♥ Tess
Psalm 121: 1-2
I will lift up my eyes to the mountains;
From where shall my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.
Romans 15:1
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
That verse psalm 121:1-2 sustains us. I remember when Dad lay resting in his final hours. I kept quietly singing it and although it was in the middle of the night, I could hear across the room another patient praying for us! I felt like the presence of Lord and His angels was so tangible in the air and I knew it was all very right!
Yes! Thank you Darlene. Such a beautiful reminder of our hope.