The Morning After .... Christmas

Jason's Christmas ... the boys-on-mom dog pile!

December 26th always marks the morning after Christmas.  The morning after the weeks of hectic preparation, the buzz of family coming home, getting together, making plans, the heightened excitement of children wanting new stuff and awaiting a visit from Santa, the stress of not enough time to decorate, shop, bake, wrap, prepare for house guests, socialize and on and on it goes.  The morning after can be an exxagerated sigh of relief or an exxagerated sense of disappointment, or both.  All too often the morning after brings with it the ramifications of another year of over-extending ourselves physically, socially, emotionally and financially while under-extending ourselves in generosity and grace. What if the morning after could be different?  What if on the morning after Christmas our heart could wake up to the fullness of contentment and a genuine sense of gratitude?

This year was the most minimal ever for me personally in regard to gifts received, social events attended and shopping required and yet as I sit here by the fire on this morning after, not only is my cup literally full of my much loved Caribou coffee, my heart is full as well, nearly to overflowing, with contentment and gratitude.  I really did experience the most wonderful time of the year this season and I think two intentional decisions marked the difference for me.  The first was the one my husband and I made to make this Christmas more about those beyond our family as those inside our family.  That wasn't a new decision for us but with a new twist, nothing for me and him.  The second decision I made on my own was to put my expectation and hope in the steadfast love of the Father, not in anyone or anything else.

The results of the first decision are as follows.  My heart is bursting with the memory of the smiles on the faces of a single mom and her three children when their gifts, bought by our Life Group, were delivered and added to their six small gifts under their undecorated Christmas tree that was barren even of lights.  And then the joy that delivery brought my teenage friend, Emily filled me up even more.  She gave $50 of her own money earned at her job so that the teenage girl in the family could have some things she wanted, like cute winter boots, and more. A sure deposit of joy!  Then my heart filled up beyond explanation the night our family celebrated Christmas early with a young man who is becoming like a son and brother to our family.  At one point he whispered to me in the middle of it all, "I LOVE this!" Another deposit of joy!  Then there is one more orphan we added to our life this year who will have food and education because of a minuscule sacrifice on our part each month.  Somehow imagining his or her face (we've not yet been assigned) while they eat or go off to school fills me up to more overflowing.  And an Ethiopian orphan whom we had a very small part in bringing into a loving home to a couple longing for a child of their own.  More deposits of joy to be a part of another family's adoption. Then there was the extended family member of my husbands who was encouraged by a monetary gift we were able to send their way, something small to us, huge to them as the husband enters into month number twenty-one without employment.  Their response yet another deposit of joy! You just have to believe that Jesus meant it when He said it's more enJOYable to give than to get.

The results of the second decision are hard to put into words.  I put my hope and expectation in the Lord instead of in people and having the holidays a "certain way."  I lowered my expectations for what I could and couldn't do and trusted Him for those things that began to make me feel disappointed.  I decided to do what Mary did in Luke 2; I treasured and pondered in my heart the amazing things in my life that are because Jesus not only came into our world but into MY world and has, and continues to change and enrich my life beyond description!  I treasured and pondered the incredible things I see God doing in our own children as He shapes their hearts after His. I treasured and pondered God's faithfulness to my husband and I during almost 25 years of marriage that at times was amazingly wonderful and at times was unbearably difficult.  God made the difference. I treasured and pondered what Christmas must be like in heaven now that my brother and my daddy were there for the celebration this year. The pondering and the treasure began to feel so weighty it seemed to hold a sense of His glory.

It's the morning after and I am content.  My heart is full. Overflowing with His goodness and unspeakable gratitude.

Holiday Cheery or Holiday Weary?

A paraphrase of the amazing offer of Jesus to the weary in Matthew 11 ... for the holidays and for every day ...  

“My child, when you find yourself weary during this holiday season, please come to Me.  Don’t keep trying to live under the burden of sin that exalts itself during the Christmas holidays. Don’t keep trying to press on under the burden of doing the holidays a certain way or keeping up with the holiday demands on your own, trying to be perfect in your approach to decorating, socializing, gift buying, being the family peacemaker and more.  That pace, and those expectations will wear you out.  They will deposit weariness into your soul. And if you stay weary, you’ll become discouraged.  Discouragement will tempt you to give up on Christmas or at least grow to dread this amazingly wonderful time of year. 

Laboring through the holidays in your own wisdom and according to your own understanding will zap you of your physical, emotional and spiritual energy.  Don’t let the holiday traditions of others become your obligation as you celebrate this season. Those traditions might work for others but they will weigh you down, their demands are heavy.  Come to Me, I am your papa and I am pleased with you.  Enjoy relationship with me during the holidays instead of trying to be perfect or religious or something that someone else is expecting you to be.  Come to Me. Learn of Me.  Love like I love and obey Me with simple abandon instead of trying to follow all the demands and obligations of the season. 

Listen for My voice.  I will speak a word to your heart and it will not be burdensome.  When you come to Me your weariness will be overcome by My steadfast love.  Your discouragement will melt as you embrace My way of rest; rest for your mind, will and emotions. When you come to Me, I will refresh your soul and set you free to worship and celebrate during this season that is set aside to call you to a new place of wonder and awe.  Wonder and awe of ME, not of your beautiful home nor even your precious children, not of your wanted gifts or your much awaited vacation but of Me.  Choose to fix your heart on the wonder and awe of your eternal home and of the most amazing story of all time, that I came into your world as a dear little baby so that you, and those you love, might have life abundant and life eternal. Come to me when you are feeling weary and over burdened and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:28-30 (Amplified Bible)

²⁸Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.]

²⁹Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. 

³⁰For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good--not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.