'Tis The Season
Christmas. A season of glad tidings, and joy. A season of peace and goodwill. A time to share love, gifts, and food. A time to gather with family and friends.
At our house, the lights are lit, the decorations are in place, the eggnog chilling in the fridge.
All is calm, all is bright.
Art by Adeline |
Except for one thing. This is the year 2020. A year like no other we've known before. This is the year we have had to wear masks and socially distance ourselves, and the year when masks became political. This is the year words like "mutant virus spoils Christmas" make headlines and create panic.
It appears that Marvel movies have jumped off the big screen into real life, our lives.
And so, in as much as we will try to make Christmas as Christmassy as possible, it will not be the same. Our lives have been disrupted, changes have had to be made, we have all lived through months of uncertainty, lockdowns, separation from loved ones, and toilet paper hoarding.
But. As with everything in life, there is good, a light in the darkness.
If anything, we can all say we have learned to cherish those whom we love even more. We can say we have learned to prioritize what is important in our lives.
We learned to adapt. And we will keep adapting. And in so doing, we will grow stronger.
Perhaps we don't like any of it, change is always uncomfortable, adapting means stepping out of our comfort zones, but we are doing it, and we will keep going forward one step at a time.
Approximately, 2000 years ago, an entire group of people thought that the person who had come to liberate them from oppression was going to lead them into victory. Instead, he was led like a lamb to slaughter on the cross. Their lives plunged into despair, the hope they thought they had was crushed.
But. He rose again to conquer death and gave his people and those who would want to follow, victory over death and eternal hope that no circumstance or situation can diminish.
That promise still stands today. That hope eternal is still eternal and has not diminished. It is a matter of what we choose to focus on, and in whom we choose to believe and place our trust and confidence.
Christmas is the celebration of Christ's birth in a hopeless world, a light in the darkness. It is about the birth of a baby who was destined to die so we could all live.
While our situations are not ideal today, while everything seems uncertain and possibly hopeless, we have a choice. We can keep looking into the darkness of what is around us, or we can place our confidence in the One who was sent to give us hope eternal.
May you find true peace and joy this Christmas, a peace that surpasses all understanding, and a deep joy that brings much contentment.
From our home to yours, we wish you a Merry Christmas!
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