I entered into the Season of Advent, not knowing what the Lord had in store for me. I knew that we would be deliberately seeking Him in our home (through His Word) in new ways. Our family is trying to develop lovely traditions, ones that we will hang on to and continue. The four of us lived for so long in survival mode, and had many difficult holidays, the thought of which now can nearly undo me. We have been pretty thin on traditions, since it is hard to stop and smell any roses when you are treading water.
And this has really grieved me…the sense of loss. The making of memories missed, time gone. And time has just flown, before long the kids will be grown…how did that happen? SHE is almost as tall as ME, as we sing loudly together in church, blowing out the Klause family in front of us (they are just so, so dear). And HE is getting so big, sometimes he forgets to hug me—and this kid, he’s a hugger—but he’s pretty busy these days. Life is always moving forward. Change is relentless in its arrival.
But change is what Advent is all about: change coming to overturn the world order, to unseat the Curse. Those who met and loved Jesus had to change their expectations because He brought change in a way they could not imagine…by His humility, by His sacrifice, by His love. And this is the change He calls us to, in our hearts: humility, sacrifice, and love. And these are the gifts I hope we can unwrap in our family throughout the coming year.
The Lord has already brought the miracle of change into our family, because all those painful years have been matured us all, even the parents. Growth, though painful, is change. And growth is progress. And I can see now that God’s plan was at work all along in the difficulties, in the grief, in the loss…He was making us new!
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.
The old has passed away;
behold, the new has come
(2 Corinthians 5:17).
If you are struggling this year, or if every holiday season is a struggle, don’t lose hope! The Lord is always at work in your mess, always.
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Thank you for sharing your post reminding us…ME…that God is at work in me and I am a NEW creation…and CHANGE is necessary in order to become that person He wants me to be. Perhaps that is why I have been through the things that have come my way…preparing me to be that person, whomever she is!! We’ve had our ups and downs; but with God as my guide, I pray they will be more ups than downs as we move into a new year. My adult children are also understanding and supportive; and I also pray our journey continues on a more even keel than this past year.
May you and your family celebrate a wonderful holiday with many new blessings in the new year.
Christmas Blessings to you too Barbara! 🙂 I hope throughout your New Year we can all keep in mind that His mercies are new every morning!!!
This definitely resonated with me. 😀 Life is whirring past, can I grab hold of it to make meaningful tradition. ~to experience the gentle love of my Savior? To show my children how to slow down and experience His presence.. and not the presents… It is a struggle