Christmas is coming! What a wonderful time of year!
What an awful time of year.
Did I just say that? It kind of makes sense though. Things that have the most potential to be wonderful, have equal potential to be ‘unwonderful’.
Perhaps its the first Christmas without a loved one. Perhaps the loss of a job will completely redefine Christmas. Maybe this is the first Christmas as a blended family. The list of challenges could go on. The last time I had a Christmas like that was in 2008. I wrote a letter to my heavenly Father and it went something like this:
“Dear God,
Last year was our first year without Dad. I thought it would be awful but somehow, we got through it. This year I’m taken off guard. I thought it would be so much easier. If anything, it almost feels worse.
Lord, I’m overwhelmed with the shopping, baking and decorating. But the hardest part is that I can’t seem to find joy in any of it.
I’ve heard before that some people have “worry boxes.” They write down all the things they fret about and throw them in the box. Then they mentally leave them there. I need a Christmas version of a worry box. Father, I’m going to write down each challenge I face this season and put it my little white box. I think I’ll call it my Emmanuel Box (God is with me.) I’ll jot down my concerns and trials and leave them in the box for you to handle.”
Five years have passed and I can’t believe it is now Christmas, 2013.
Yesterday I began unpacking the decorations. The first thing I found was the Emmanuel Box.
I looked at all the prayers it has held.
Some years there were a few notes. Other years there were more. I gave over worries about the children’s health. I handed God my shopping list. I asked him to restore my joy. I prayed for safe travels for loved ones. I prayed for salvation for lost ones.
Indeed, the little white box had a myriad of requests.
As I looked over the requests I was humbly reminded of His faithfulness.
God is so GOOD.
DoAheads, as we enter this very busy season my prayer for all of us is that we place our worries, needs and cares in our virtual or real Emmanuel Boxes. Our faithful Father wants nothing more than to have us seek Him in our everyday holiday mess and stress!
Your DoAhead Friend,
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