A Christmastime Reflection

The days following Christmas are typically quiet ones where we each find ourselves resting and reminiscing on the festivities of December 25th and all the preparation that went into preparing for such a joyous occasion. For many, Christmas is over, while for many others the Christmas season has just begun and we continue to celebrate and rejoice in the coming of our Lord. However, while this time of year is usually a happy and festive one, for others it can be a difficult time of year. For some, this time of year can be a painful one for those who have experienced loss. For others, the pending New Year brings much worry, stress, and fear for the unknowns and challenges that must be faced. It can be a time where we may be struggling emotionally and spiritually, and where we find ourselves feeling incapable of taking on what is to come. I have found myself in that position a few times in my life where the holidays were filled with more sadness and worry than joy and hope. Through the years I have learned that while we may be facing many challenges and fears at the end of another year, the Christmas season is the perfect reminder to completely abandon ourselves in Christ and to trust that despite what is to come, he will help us to carry the load. 

This year has been one like never before, a year where I had to face many new challenges and unknowns that I was not prepared for. There were moments where I found myself angry for having to change my plans or because I couldn’t go through with what I really wanted to do in the moment. I faced moments of having to sacrifice many things that weren’t a necessity because things had changed. My family has gone through several periods of readjusting to a new routine and lifestyle. When things would just start to feel normal or stable, something new would come and we needed to adjust once again. It has been a year where Christ has continuously called me to let go of everything and completely trust and abandon myself in him. I can say those moments are scary and our instinct is to do everything to be in control to avoid the worst from happening. Yet, when we let go and trust God we very quickly find peace within our heart and our perspective on life begins to change for the better. 

As creatures of habit, we hate change and some people hate it more than others. Change can be a very hard thing, but there is so much good that comes from it if we allow ourselves to be open to that change in the beginning. Some change can feel like everything is spiraling downhill, but that is when we most need to put trust in God and completely learn to let go. Earlier in the year I received some sound advice during spiritual direction that really helped me change how I tackled the worry and fear I had with the unknown and change that lay ahead. In those moments when everything seems bleak, we tend to focus on all the monsters that could pop up, but in reality there is really only one monster that’s actually there and he’s not so bad when we focus on just him. That advice changed my outlook on the unknown horizon that lay ahead. I was able to not only let go and trust God had a plan for us, but I was able to focus on one issue at a time instead of worrying about all the what ifs. Once I focused on the monster that actually existed, he wasn’t so scary anymore and I felt more capable of managing the situation. As for the possible monsters that could arise, I made sure to focus on what I needed to do in the now and patiently wait for the next actual monster, or challenge, to come. Only then would I know what steps needed to be taken. 

This advice has helped me tremendously throughout the course of this year to face many new changes and challenges. With each one I have experienced more trust in God’s plans, confidence in my ability to overcome the struggle, and peace within my heart because I knew that in the end all will be well. That is why this Christmas season is so special because it isn’t just a time we reflect on the first and second coming of Christ. It is a time for us to prepare ourselves for his coming and part of the preparation is making the necessary change within our lives and putting complete trust in God’s will. It is a time for us to find hope in Christ and that he will help us overcome each struggle we face despite how large or small they may be. It is a time for us to trust in his plan, in what he may be calling us to grow in or the change he calls us to make. This Christmas season is the perfect reminder to find joy in every circumstance we endure, despite how dark it may seem because there is a shining light in the midst of that darkness that will guide us home. 

This Advent season was a busy time for our little family as we tackled many things on our list and focused on spending time as a family. It was a time that we took to focus and prepare ourselves for Christ by making the time to grow closer with him while learning to let go of many unnecessary things. It allowed for us to celebrate Christmas with much excitement and joy while also finding so much delight in the simplicity of the day. I learned to let go this year of not doing everything on the Christmas list and enjoying less. We have relished our time as a family together while also giving thanks to Christ for the abundant blessings he has given us throughout what has been a year filled with much growth. It has been a time that we have been so grateful for the smallest and simplest ways of celebrating the season where Christ has been truly in the center of it all. This was not just us letting go and trusting that God provides us with exactly what we need, but also a goal we had set for ourselves after a year of learning to appreciate the simplest things in life and living with less. 

We intend to continue celebrating the rest of the Christmas season with simplicity and joy while trusting that the challenges we know that await us in the New Year are ones that God will certainly not abandon us in. After all, that is what we are celebrating this season, that Christ came to save us, not to abandon us. I have so much more peace within my heart at the end of this year knowing that whatever next year brings I have everything within me to endure it because Christ is with me. I am also ready to face those seasons of change and adjustment because my heart is open and ready to embrace them, despite the hardships they may bring because after every storm there is a rainbow. There are many unknowns as to what next year will bring, but those are monsters that I can’t worry about yet because they very well may never happen. As for what I know is to come, those monsters are really not that scary, and even less when I know Christ is with me. So as we each say goodbye to another year, and all the struggles that came with it, let us open our hearts to the unknowns that await us in the New Year. Remember that though times may seem dark and unbearable at times, there is hope and rest awaiting us within the arms of Christ. We are capable of finding that if only we allow ourselves to find joy in the simplest of things, to be grateful for the blessings we didn’t expect, and to willingly let go of being completely in control. When we do that, we will find the strength and trust to endure everything and the darkness we feel around us will no longer seem as dark. It is then that we will be living a life that is abandoned in God’s will and filled with sincere joy and peace.