As my to-do list only seems to get longer,
And the pressure mounts to deliver a picture-perfect Christmas,
I remember we celebrate this season because of what You have already done
And look forward to the sure hope of what You will do.
I confess my heart can be easily distracted at this time of year, with things I think I must do to give my family “Christmas:”
Finding the perfect gifts
Planning memorable experiences
Keeping meaningful traditions
Creating a beautifully decorated home.
When all my doing threatens to overwhelm and deplete my joy, help me rest in Truth. The fullness of God was pleased to dwell in human form. By this miracle of grace, You Lord have provided everything I need, and everything my family needs.
So when things don’t go according to plan, or I just fail miserably, I remember—
I am not the one who holds all things together, and I never could,
But You do, and you came to earth for sinners like us.
When relationships are strained, and the strongest memories seem to be of pain, loss or loneliness, I find comfort—
In a lowly manger, where a new reality broke into this broken world,
And the promised Immanuel, God with us, means we will never be truly alone or forgotten.
When expectations are unmet, and disappointment sets in, I look forward with hope—
Because we celebrate and yet we wait,
For You have come and You are coming again.
Thank you, Lord, that the Christmas I want for my family is not mine to create, but to receive and to share.
So as we go about the activities of the season, thank you that we are free to enjoy the experiences, decorations, and gifts exactly as they are— not as the source of celebration, but the overflow, reminding us of all we have already received in Christ.
Amen
John 1: 14 and 16: And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth… For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.
Amanda Duvall 