The holiday season can be a sad time for many of us. A writer friend recently wrote that the Fall season with all its gorgeous colors is a morose time for her. She mused that with all the leaves falling from the trees and the winter coming soon that it might be that her advancing age brings on these feelings. There is also a condition, Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, brought on by not enough sunlight in the winter months. No matter the cause, the holiday season can be a time when loneliness is accentuated and often experienced. It could be the loss of a loved one, a prodigal child, poor health or just the struggles of life that weigh us down. Whatever the cause, let’s look at how we can find hope during this coming holiday season.
Engage In Life Around You
While it is tempting to isolate ourselves when we feel sad, doing the opposite has the potential to lift our spirits. A dear friend lost her Mom a few months ago and last week she said, “Carole, I have something for you in my car.” After lunch I walked to her car and she pulled out a bag and said, “This was my Mom’s and I’ve been praying about who to give her really nice things to.” I went home and opened the bag and inside was a brand new leather purse with the sweetest note. I called her to thank her and she said, “It has blessed me so much to give my Mom’s things to dear friends who have blessed my life and who prayed for my Mom and me. Another friend, we have been praying for, who had preemie grandsons born recently, brought me her Chronological Bible because I had mentioned, while teaching, that I would like to have one.
Pray For The World Around You
Spending time in prayer for our neighborhood, city, state and country is something we can do to remind us how much we have to be thankful for. Praying for people who are suffering in Ukraine and all over the world gets our eyes off of self and praying for others is sure to lift our sagging spirits. I love to pray for these things when I go out for a walk.
Focus On God’s Truth
All the hype of the holidays is a marketing ploy to sell more everything. Things and more stuff will not bring happiness, nor will spending money we don’t have on things our loved ones don’t need or want. What if we gave to a ministry in the name of someone we love? Served a meal to a family in need?
Remember God’s Promises
Nothing lasts forever. As my Mom used to say, “This has come to pass”. God has permitted this season in our life and wants us to have the tools to grow during these seasons instead of hibernate. The worst thing about a pity party is you are the only one there and nobody brings refreshments.
Seek The Lord And He Will Be Found
My pastor challenged us to find a time during the next 2 weeks to spend a day or a good portion of a day with the Lord. He called it the Inner Change Challenge. During this time we turn off all social media, phone & e-mail. We set aside time with our journal, Bible and some beautiful Christian music. In doing this we will discover that we were the ones who moved, not God.
Praying all of us have a blessed Christmas season full of God’s presence.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
Carole Lewis is the Director Emeritus of First Place for Health. She is a popular speaker and author of 15 books. She leads conferences, Christian Spas, workshops, and seminars with an emphasis on personal and spiritual balance, fitness, encouragement, and temperament analysis. Her audiences know her as warm, transparent, honest, and humorous. You can find her latest book, Stage 4: Your Diagnosis is Not Your Destiny in our online store.