When you don't feel like celebrating
What if Christmas is here and you're just not in the mood? You might be worried about the future, feeling sad, or have gone through a great loss? It should be the happiest time of the year, but you just don't feel like it. ... It's okay. You don't have to try to fix your pain, sadness or loss quickly, you can't anyway.
I don't think even the shepherds watching the sheep on that first Christmas felt anything special, it was just another ordinary cold night in Bethlehem. Their town was crowded with visitors who were there for the census, which just reminded them of Roman rule. Nothing looked particularly hopeful.
Suddenly, angels filled the sky with the message that there was no need to worry; the Savior would be born in their city that night. That changed everything, and suddenly there was hope!
If you are not feeling up to all the festivities of this holiday, try to focus on the Hope that this season brings. Jesus has come and through him redemption for all the wrong we have ever done. We no longer have to be separated from God, Jesus is the link between God and us! For such contemplation, we don't need decorations and gifts, we can celebrate in our hearts.
Jesus is with us wherever we are, at Christmas and every other day of the year, and He loves us immensely!
***
New Year’s Prayers and Resolutions
At the start of a new year, many people look forward with a mix of excitement and apprehension to what lies ahead for them, their families and friends, and the world at large. It is comforting to know that whatever the future holds and whatever problems or difficulties we may face, God wants to help us overcome them.
It is not easy to live in today's world and not be swept up in the "waves" of worry and distress, but it is possible. The secret is in cultivating the habit of not looking at the "waves" but at the One who loves us and will always take care of us. He has promised that He is with us always, through thick and thin, and that nothing can separate us from His loving care. (Hebrews 13:5; Romans 8:37-39).
***
The Year Ahead
May God make your year a happy one!
Not by protecting you from all the sorrows and pains,
but by making you strong enough to handle them as they come;
Not by making your way easier,
but by making you resilient to walk any path;
Not by ridding you of difficulties,
but by removing fear from your heart;
Not by giving you uninterrupted sunny days,
but by making your face shine even in the shadows;
Not by making your life always pleasant,
but by showing you when people need you most,
and by giving you the strength to be there for them.
I wish you God's love, peace, hope and joy for the year ahead! –
Copyright © 2022 Aktive Direkt Hilfe e. V.