Christmas Cards

Our Christmas cards are here! Which is good timing because today has just been one of those days. I needed something to lift me up.

I have to admit a couple of things.

1) I’m having trouble posting something every day. I want to so badly but LIFE keeps happening. And then when I do, I catch myself looking at the numbers of people reading and wondering if I should just give up. In many way, this has been a standout year for me as far as blogging, and yet I’m still wishing for more. Setting my sights on levels that may never happen for me. I want so desperately to grow and provide excellent content and yet I’m “easy pickins” for doubt and fear. So instead of feeling like I HAVE TO make an Advent post every day, I’m going to let that go.

2) I’m doing it again. Getting buried with all the busy-ness of the holiday. I think I went to 8 stores on Friday. I had to because our dog was at training and I just felt I HAD to maximize the time by driving all over the place and going to every store I could think of. I’m going to let that go, too. Because otherwise, I’m gonna be a hot mess by Christmas.

3) I am missing not being a part of a church right now. We left ours this summer and haven’t really moved on. I miss the people, the community and I miss being a part of worship and music. My heart feels a little hollow right now because of it, I won’t lie.

So basically, I’m fun to be around! Do you feel like you are Lucy with her psychiatry stand and now need to get paid for listening to me?

But this is how it is for LOTS of people. While Christmas ads are all fun and jolly and light, this time of year can also be hard and heavy and dark. I consider myself an optimist, but buddy, even I feel the weight of the world this Christmas.

So I’m falling back on what I know works: taking some time to read, study and pray. I went to a devotional called The Greatest Gift: Unwrapping the Full Love Story of Christmas by Ann Voskamp. You’ve just got to read Ann Voskamp. She’s just a jam up writer.

Ann’s devotional titled “Where Are You?” (citing when God came looking for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3: 6-9) reminds us:

God is looking for us when we are lost or struggling or screwing up in every which way. And he reaches for you who have fallen and scraped you heart raw, for you who feel the shame of words that have snaked off your tongue and poisoned corners of your life, for you who keep trying to cover up pain with perfectionism.”

Yeah, that’s me to a T. She just nailed it. And I expect she just described many of you, too. We are in this together. And with Him. That’s a pretty safe place, I’d say.

So what would lift my spirits? Mail. That’s right-I love checking the mailbox every day in December. Digging past the bills and catalogs, I rummage for those special envelopes–you know the ones. The Christmas cards. Because I cherish every Christmas card we receive. Usually there are images of smiling families, stories of how the past year unfolded, and a warm and heartfelt message. It’s a reminder that someone cares.

On the back of our Christmas cards, I printed a message that includes some of the lyrics from the song “Christmas Card” by Steven Curtis Chapman.

Right now, I’m feeling more like the person being described in the song. And that’s OK. But when I prepared the cards, I was the one singing this song. I think we can have both up and down days during the holidays. That’s life. But it’s how we deal with those lows that really define us. So I’m going to go outside in this 70 degree weather we’re having and take a walk, then come back and jam out to some tunes.

I hope the words of this song are a reminder to you that you are loved. Blessings, friends…