Christmas 2024
Christmas 2024. Is anyone else exhausted? Even with a pared down Christmas to-do list, energy runs out before the hours do.
As I push to finish one more task, patience wanes right along with energy. Hope for an hour to be still and rejoice in the meaning of Christmas continues to be exactly that. A hope.
We know better than to let the frantic pace suck us in. After all, the Christmas story isn’t about sending cards to everyone on the “list”, buying the perfect gift for family and friends, or baking and cooking each traditional cookie and dish we remember from the past.
It’s not about attending every Christmas program in our vicinity, no matter how Christ-centered they are. Or helping with every Angel Tree or Christmas Shoebox opportunity we come across.
But we get caught in the vortex. And we try to do it all.
It’s hard being human. We want to join in everything we think might bring us joy.
But we’re limited. Time. Energy. Health. Loss. Disaster. Emotion. Loneliness. So many constraints. How do we help ourselves do Christmas right?
Life is Hard
None of us can do Christmas perfectly. But we can all do something right.
Christmas is about Hope, Light, Peace, Joy, and Love.
It’s about Jesus, our Hope of life forever with the Father. The One Who is the Light of the World, breaking through the darkness of our pain and sinful state. The One Who brings us peace of heart and mind. And peace with our Creator.
Jesus is our Joy as He walks with us in this valley of the shadow of death. And He is perfect Love.
But right now, some of us are full of worry because a loved one is ill or finances are failing.
Some of us are dealing with losses so powerful our hearts can’t handle the joy of the season along with the grief weighing us down.
Some of us are in a season of happiness, healthy and with little conflict in our life. We’ve run the race to find gifts we will give, made the sugary treats, hung the tinsel and lights and made Suzie Homemaker proud. But maybe our hearts have focused too much on the setting and not enough on the One upon Whom the focus belongs. So we find ourselves feeling an emptiness we didn’t expect.
Whatever the season for you, I pray God will cover you with His grace today. May He hold you while you rest in Him for a moment.
As He gently tilts your chin up so your eyes can find His, may you see the joy in His face, His love for you. And may it bring you peace. A peace that passes understanding.
Personal Note
Two weeks ago I sat to write a Christmas note. I hoped to send cards to folks who year after year touch base with me even though my Christmas-card-sending lacks consistency.
Once again I lost the battle with time and haven’t sent all the cards I expected to send. But what came from the short time of writing is a poem I’d like to share with you.
I wish you a Merry Christmas. And if life right now is dark and merry isn’t in your vocabulary, I pray God will wrap you in His love and ease your pain.
Come to think of it, that’s the Christmas story. Love coming to earth to ease our pain. Thank You, Jesus.
Christmas
CThigpen 2024
2024
‘Twas a night in October, and all through the town,
Men desperately longed for peace to abound.
War in the Ukraine and Israel, too,
Strife on all continents, the world is a zoo.
How can we possibly live without hope?
Is there no one on earth who will cast us a rope?
Chaos and trouble seem bent to appear,
In front and beside us, to all we hold dear.
Where should we look for the peace that we need?
Can anyone help us by some gracious deed?
Then ever so gently I heard in my heart,
“There’s One Who already has done His full part.”
The Holy Creator, Who loves one and all,
Knew from the start that we’d sinfully fall.
Throughout the ages He sent words to say,
“There’s peace with the Father, just follow the Way.”
The Lord of the heavens came dressed as a babe,
Then walked among men and willingly gave
His life on the cross so that we could know Love.
We only need trust in the One from above.
This Christmas the world, sadly, still seems to sway,
Waiting for someone to come save the day.
They hope in a savior, a man who’s from earth;
Not knowing that Mary, to the Savior, gave birth.
Jesus our Lord came, and His life He gave;
Now Hope is alive and is ready to save.
So, tonight in December, I joyfully cry,
“Peace is available, no need to sigh!”
“Darkness is over; God’s Son is the Light;
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!”
(If you wish to read more about Jesus as the Light, you can find my blog post Let There Be Light here. Photo: Taken by Carolyn Thigpen, December 2023)
