All is Calm, All is Bright

Someone asked me recently how I stay joyful and focused on what really matters this time of year. I adore Christmas and all that comes with it, but it takes some intentionality to make sure that my family and I actually have a chance to feel it. Feel the hope and love that God gave us when Jesus was born. Feel the gratitude, the calm, the moments when we are simply in awe of what we have been given. It’s not that I can literally schedule time to make sure we are feeling what we are supposed to feel, but I can provide opportunities to prepare Him room by not overscheduling and overcommitting in the weeks leading up to Christmas. In addition to making sure we aren’t completely exhausted by December 25th, my family (like many!) enjoys watching and reading our favorite Christmas movies and books. So many of them are filled with the Spirit of Christmas and also give us a chance to dive deeper into what matters the most.

Just like Old Scrooge declares at the end of A Christmas Carol, I keep Christmas in my heart all year long. There is something so alluring about Christmas in the 19th century when that story takes place, isn’t there? Such a simple time albeit lacking many of the comforts we have today. I imagine how pleasant it would have been to walk to a neighbor’s through the snow by candlelight on Christmas Eve. Horses clopping along the cobblestone streets as they pull a carriage behind them. Carolers under a lamppost while the snow falls softly around them. Guests arriving with homemade treats, grateful to enjoy a night by the fireplace and Christmas tree, surrounded by friends and family.

It’s easy to look at certain times from the past with longing and to imagine that it would have been a more enjoyable place to live. Especially when it was a time that had very few distractions, unlike those we are bombarded with today. Still, I find so much comfort knowing that God put us here at the exact time we were meant to exist, not before and not after. We were meant for these times, but that doesn’t mean we have to live in a frenzy every year when Christmas comes around just because the world has turned it into such a pressure-filled rush. Everything these days moves so fast. Fall decorations start to fill the stores in July, Christmas comes pouring in by October, and here we are not even at year’s end and I’ve already seen Valentine’s Day gifts! Add to that the constant window we have into the lives of others online and it can be difficult sometimes not to feel overwhelmed by it all.

Don’t get me wrong, I love decking the halls, making Christmas cookies, gift wrapping, and tree decorating. Enjoying the sights and sounds of the season or taking part in all the hustle and bustle can be an amazing thing! For many parents, the trick is enjoying the festivities and traditions of our modern Christmases while keeping Jesus, our Messiah, at the heart of it. Not just for our children, but for us, too. We sing the songs and do all the Christmas things, which is wonderful!! Though, in our quest to enjoy the most wonderful time of the year, we sometimes wait for peace to come and sort of hit us over the head at Christmastime. We think, “Well, it’s Christmas! Jesus was born in a manger, angels appeared, wise men followed the star, so we are going to be FILLED with peace and joy on Christmas Day! Can’t wait!” Maybe you are so familiar with the Christmas Story that some of the awe and wonder that once filled your heart has waned. You could be feeling a little bit like Charlie Brown this year, searching everywhere for the hope and joy that is associated with this season but coming up short.

Just as our good friend Charlie Brown discovers, we are never going to feel what we are supposed to feel unless we have the capacity in our hearts, the room in our hearts for Jesus. Even then, we struggle because we are human and life can be so hard. Circumstances change and the holidays may end up feeling like a series of disappointments rather than the joy-filled experience we had anticipated. If you’re not familiar with A Charlie Brown Christmas, Charlie’s best buddy Linus quotes Luke 2:8-14 when Charlie just can’t take anymore disappointment.

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And they said unto them, “Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be for all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. That’s what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown.”

I love hearing Linus’s sweet voice speak those words every year.

If you are getting flustered by the festivities this month or your soul is yearning for comfort, trust that peace is possible this Christmas regardless of your circumstances. When the distractions and commitments take center stage(even the well-intentioned ones), I encourage you to close your eyes, take a deep breath, and just imagine you are there with the shepherds as the angels appear in the field to bring them the news of Jesus’s birth. Sit for a minute and let your soul be in awe of such a moment.

I pray that no matter what burdens you carry this year, no matter how much you are lacking, no matter how many sicknesses or difficult situations your family is dealing with, that you will be filled with comfort and joy. With Jesus, your heart can feel calm and bright even if your life isn’t. Ask our Wonderful Counselor, our Prince of Peace, to fill you with the eternal hope that was given to us on that night of nights. Hope flooded the world when Jesus was born, and no matter how bleak things may sometimes seem, it hasn’t left us. I wish you and your family so much peace this Christmas and in the New Year, and may God bless us, every one.

---

Read more of Maria’s contributions to AllMomDoes here.