Holidays with pain and suffering seem
like no holiday at all. The usual prospects of fun, parties, laughing,
and playing vanish as the reality of struggles and sorrow loom ahead.
like no holiday at all. The usual prospects of fun, parties, laughing,
and playing vanish as the reality of struggles and sorrow loom ahead.
How can we overcome this? How can
the holidays be a time of joy in the midst of difficulties?
the holidays be a time of joy in the midst of difficulties?
Take each moment captive. Every
minute and every situation can be made individual. Instead of lumping the
entire day together or trying to take on the entire Christmas season and all of
its stresses and joys, take one circumstance and try to deal with the positives
and negatives of it.
minute and every situation can be made individual. Instead of lumping the
entire day together or trying to take on the entire Christmas season and all of
its stresses and joys, take one circumstance and try to deal with the positives
and negatives of it.
We not only take each circumstance separately,we do not take the emotions from one situation and let it bleed over into the
next. I take a deep breath and try to differentiate
between emotions from one problem and the next.
Is this emotion from an earlier dilemma or is it from this moment?
Stop.
Think.
Pray.
The day may look like this –
Kids wake up grumpy
Ill family member has a hard morning
Maybe you don’t feel your best
Something spills
Something breaks
It is important to take each problem
and separate it from others. Often times
I find myself taking out my frustrations on a loved one or the frying pan when
neither was to blame for my emotions.
and separate it from others. Often times
I find myself taking out my frustrations on a loved one or the frying pan when
neither was to blame for my emotions.
When we do respond harshly to someone
we love or even someone we don’t like and our harshness had nothing to do with
them, we can apologize and begin again.
we love or even someone we don’t like and our harshness had nothing to do with
them, we can apologize and begin again.
So, one bit of advice for you that I
have had to apply for many years of having a husband in pain is to take the day
one breath at a time. The holidays are
not about presents, parties, and panic-
have had to apply for many years of having a husband in pain is to take the day
one breath at a time. The holidays are
not about presents, parties, and panic-
The holidays are about love, inner
peace, inner joy, and remembering how blessed we are to have a God who loves us
so much.
peace, inner joy, and remembering how blessed we are to have a God who loves us
so much.
If you don’t get the cards off, or buy
all the presents you had planned – it is OK.
all the presents you had planned – it is OK.
Simplify each day, each emotion, each
action, each holiday.
action, each holiday.
The Lemonade Digest 