No doubt about it, this Christmas is going to be…Weird? Different? Memorable?
In the past, Christmas was noted for its busyness. In fact, if we’re honest, as moms, we both deplore the hustle and tearing about, and yet, we also wear it as a badge of honor.
“How are your holidays going?”
“Oh, so busy! The concerts, the parties, the gifts, the decorating, the wrapping, the caroling, the school activities, the baking, the traveling, etc. etc. etc.” As if we were somehow validating our holiday experience by cramming as many things onto the list as possible.
But this year, with very few things being ‘normal,’ Christmas might look vastly different. You may be less inclined to venture out on Black Friday and face the crowds. You may not have that New Year’s Day Open House with friends and family going in and out of your house all day long. You may not be able to join your church choir in caroling at the local elder-care facility.
While you may be looking forward to having the least-cluttered December calendar in recent memory, for some, Christmas 2020 will make it hard not to focus on all the things we don’t have or cannot enjoy as we have in the past.
Christmas is supposed to be a joyful time. But how can we be joyful when we aren’t able to do the things we wanted and planned upon doing?
You know how? You CHOOSE joy. For a long time, I thought joy was an emotion. A reaction to my circumstances. But actually, joy is a choice. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, an action. Actions are deliberate choices that we make. So if I can choose to have joy, that means I can choose joy regardless of my circumstances. I am actually responsible for my own joy. No one else, no external circumstances.
Mind. Blown.
So if Joy is an action and a choice, how can I consciously choose joy this Christmas?
- Recognize that things will be different, but different isn’t always bad, it’s just…different. Let go of expectations from previous holiday seasons.
- Replace cancelled activities with ones that are possible now. Zoom your choir performance and send it to your church shut-ins. Take an online baking class to perfect your mince pie and/or Christmas pudding. (I’m doing just this to hone my Regency baking skills!) Determine to shop locally for your Christmas gifts this year to support your town’s small businesses. Be creative!
- Take some time to unplug and unwind. Use this season of less busyness to recuperate and recharge.
- Reflect upon your many blessings. Reflect upon the true meaning of Christmas that most often has nothing to do with all the busy things we pile into our schedules at this time of year. Reflect upon how you can bless someone else this Christmas.
Christmas 2020 will no doubt be different from other years, but with the right mindset and ‘heartset,’ we can choose joy and make this year both memorable and beneficial.
Psalm 59:16 But as for me, I shall sing of Your strength; Yes, I shall joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the morning, For You have been my stronghold. And a refuge in the day of my distress.
Erica Vetsch is the best-selling, award winning author of more than forty published works, including her latest novella, Wonders of His Love, part of the Joy to the World Regency Christmas collection. She’s a wife, mother, bookkeeper, bookworm, sports addict, and avid museum patron. When she’s not writing books or cheering on her favorite sports team, she’s planning her next visit to a historic site. You can find her on the web at www.ericavetsch.com where you can sign up for her quarterly-ish newsletter, and on Facebook where she spends way too much time!
