12 Pearls of Christmas: Slow Down, Pray & Give Thanks

All Decked Out For Christmas
by Maureen Lang

One
of the reasons so many of us love the holiday season is that it's just
so…pretty! Twinkling lights, shiny ornaments, packages that glisten
with bows and fancy wrapping. Our houses are trimmed with wreaths and
glowing trees, and the neighborhood lights up the night with strands of
icicles and glimmering reindeer.

Even we get decked out for the
holidays! Chances are most of us will attend at least one party this
season, and if we don't usually don clothing or jewelry with a bit of
sparkle, now's the time to take a chance with something that reflects
the holiday.

Smiles are another reason this season is such a
popular one. They accompany that familiar greeting-Merry Christmas!
Smiles go with the gifts we give and with the gifts we receive. Smiles
go with the old Christmas carols and classic movies we watch every year.

The
holiday season is a time when everything can seem amplified. But what
if we're all decked out on the outside, from the sparkling clothing to
our best effort at a smile, and on the inside we're anything but happy?
If life isn't what we expected it to be, the gap between reality and
our happy, hopeful expectations seem wider when everyone around us is
laughing through the season.

I know there are as many reasons to
be unhappy as there are to be happy, and I wouldn't begin to have the
answer to make this season bearable for everyone. But I do know a few
things that have worked for me:

Slow down.
What? During the busiest time of the year? Yep. I know when I feel
completely overwhelmed it's because I'm pressuring myself to do too
much. So I try to plan ahead, settle for less than perfection, do my
best without driving myself and everyone around me crazy. Choose what's
really important and let go of the other things. And I've adopted my
aunt's favorite saying: "However it turns out, that's how we like it."
Works wonders on attitude!

Pray.
As my pastor reminded me this weekend from Psalm 34:18: the Lord is
close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
God may not deliver us from our troubles, but He promises to stay
beside us-in fact, closer than when everything seems hunky-dory.

Find a moment to give thanks for what you do have (without looking around at those who have more).

This
last point deserves a moment of reflection, and is something I'm still
learning to do. I have a child severely handicapped by Fragile X
Syndrome, a genetic form of mental retardation. For years I thought I'd
accepted his condition. I obediently said to God, "thank you even for
this," since it taught me many things about adjusting to the life I've
been given rather than the one I might have chosen.

But as my
son gets older, I see new forms of acceptance making that feeling of
gratitude more genuine. I think I'm finally letting go of some of the
hopes and dreams I had for him, my oldest son. I can no longer imagine
him any other way than the way he is, even though I'd be first in line
if a cure is ever found.

I still think it's a good thing to give
thanks in all things, even if it begins out of obedience rather than
tender gratitude for whatever thorn we live with. But realizing it's
okay to grow into that gratitude was a blessing to me.

Maybe
some of the bruises on our spirit seem tender during the holiday
season, a reminder that all the glitter on the outside might not light
us up on the inside. My prayer is trust Psalm 34:18. Let's lean on Him
this season-He's right here beside us!

Maureen Lang
grew up loving to tell stories, and God has blessed her immeasurably to
be able to tell them to a wider audience these days. For the latest
goings-on, please check her blog!

12 Pearls of Christmas Series and contest sponsored by Pearl Girls®. For more information, please visit www.pearlgirls.info