“The joy of brightening other lives, bearing each others’ burdens, easing others’ loads and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of the holidays.” W.C Jones
Christmas can be lonely especially for those with unmet expectations, so how do we find joy in unlikely places?
I have been writing every day 12 days of Christmas devotional and in the midst of putting words on paper, I have realised that memories from Christmas past, bring joy into today. When was the last time you sat and put pen to paper?
What if you started to write about the memories that have remained a little hidden in your heart?
“Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.” Calvin Coolidge
This season gets crazy with parties and expectations, madness and sometimes even miscommunication. We each need to process the emotions that come to steal our peace and stifle our joy. Grab a journal and a pen. Pour yourself a nice drink or a cup of tea and start to reflect and write to rediscover joy.
A few questions to help you write and rediscover joy this Christmas
- What Christmas memory makes you smile and think of better days?
- What carol brings back memories and reminders of hope for tomorrow?
- Who is someone you could call today to chat and make you laugh?
- What is a favourite dish that you could bake or cook to give away?
Four very simple thoughts but they truly represent the heart of Christmas. To smile and remember. To sing with the possibility of igniting hope. Finding connection in the midst of a busy season and doing something practical to give away.
Tell me in the comments below what you are going to do to find hope this season. I’d love to hear from you.
“Without pain, how could we know joy?’ This is an old argument in the field of thinking about suffering and its stupidity and lack of sophistication could be plumbed for centuries but suffice it to say that the existence of broccoli does not, in any way, affect the taste of chocolate.” John Green, The Fault in Our Stars
Here is a toast to both the broccoli and chocolate this Christmas.
Amanda
New Days, a vision workbook has just been released for download here. A tool to help you reflect, journal and envision at this time of year.