by Joanne Wiklund
Some years holidays can get us down. We try, but we are overcome by tradition and memories. It seems like more than we can take. Women in a meeting on TBN this week were discussing how busy they were trying to get everything done as always. Biting off more than I can chew does not build my spiritual muscle. Hope does. God gives me strength to do what He wants me to do, but not all that I dream up has to be done.
One woman complained about trying to keep up. She said she planned to Reinvent Christmas. I had to do that once when the kids were little. We always went tø hubby’s Grandparents for Christmas Eve, Loads of kids and presents and a huge pile of wrapping paper. It was wonderful. For years. But finally I told everyone we wouldn’t be there that year. We were going to start our own family traditions. It was tough. People did not understand.
A wonderful peace ascended on our house with the kids asleep in their beds on Christmas morn. We went by the grandparents’ house a day or two later and we all enjoyed it. It was a whole lot more peaceful. The kids actually got to talk with the elders.
Simplify. Less gifts, more meaningful. If all this seems Grinchlike, believe me it isn’t. Christmas is my favorite holiday other than Number One, Easter. Try to simply if you can, if it stresses you. If not, enjoy, enjoy, wrap, wrap, wrap! Make those great wrapping paper corners. Just let the peace of Christmas invade your heart at some point and share the love around.
! Timothy 2:1-5 “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2. “For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty; 3. For that is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour 4. Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowdge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus”