Are you discouraged at the thought of not being able to gather for Christmas? Me, too. But check out this post for a few tips to enjoy the moment anyway this Christmas.
So what are you doing for Christmas this year?
Normally that question wouldn’t cause much stress or require much thought. Most of us do the same things each year: We celebrate with this group on this day and that group on that day—with the same dishes we’ve had most of our lives.
Every year.
This year there’s a huge question mark: Will we even be able to celebrate Christmas with our families? With the way things are looking going into Thanksgiving, our odds don’t look good.
Who Would Have Thought?
I love holiday get-togethers. Like really love them. I look forward to them all year. If you knew me and how introverted I am, you might be surprised, but I love ’em. Laughing with family. Reconnecting with those I only see a couple times of year. Eating dressing, potato salad, and sweets.
Family get-togethers provide me with a kind of grounding for the whole year. Who would’ve thought last year that we would be in this position now?
Because holiday get-togethers seem so important, necessary, and even guaranteed.
Have you ever seen a sinkhole? You know: when the ground just opens up.
I’ve never seen one personally, but that has to be one of the scariest things to experience. What in this world do we trust more than solid ground beneath our feet?
This holiday season seems a little like I imagine experiencing a sinkhole might.
What Now?
I’ve learned a lot through this season—hard times tend to do that—but I don’t think I’m really alone in many of my revelations.
Or hardships.
There aren’t too many times in history that a universal threat impacted every single country. Every single demographic.
Many of us have had various reactions, but we are together in this—whether we like it or not.
And I don’t think I’m alone in the value placed on our gatherings. So I thought of a few tips that might help us enjoy the moment this Christmas whether we can gather safely or not.
Tips to Enjoy the Moment This Christmas
#1 – Do something special at home.
Bake cookies. We can make some of those special once-a-year foods we get at our get-togethers. We can go all out in decorating our homes.
Hey, maybe we’ll create some new traditions.
#2 – Take advantage of technology.
Living in our time has a lot of advantages—including technology—and one of my favorite things about tech is the many ways it can bring us together.
Just because we can’t gather in person doesn’t mean we can’t gather over Zoom, Duo, FaceTime, or whatever.
How about scheduling a call with our loved ones? We could eat dinner together or have a dessert. We could even prepare some of the same dishes to enjoy together.
The possibilities are endless.
#3 – Remember the Reason for the season.
This has been a tough year for all of us in one way or another, and it just seems like the ugly sweater to top the year off to not be able to gather together to strengthen and encourage one another.
But I keep having to tell myself that family get-togethers are not the reason for this season. Jesus is.
Let’s do things that honor the birth of Christ. Check out this post for a bundle of Reason-for-the-season reminders.
#4 – Help someone else.
Speaking of honoring Christ: What better way could there be to honor Christ’s birth than to help someone else?
Let’s be creative. I’m sure we know someone who could use some kind of help. Someone who lives alone might enjoy knowing we thought of them. We could send them something special.
We could always donate a little extra to an organization. Here are some great organizations I know of:
- Global Relief Association for Crises & Emergencies (GRACE) – Foster social change through strengthening families and eradicating the vulnerabilities of human trafficking and exploitation.
- International Leadership Institute – Equipping Leaders. Spreading the Gospel.
- Samaritan’s Purse – Operation Christmas Child
- St. Judes Children Research Hospital
- The WellHouse – Restoration for Female Victims of Human Trafficking.
- Voice of the Martyrs – Defend the Rights of Persecuted Christians.
Many of us may feel like the ground has dropped from under us this year, but maybe these tips can help us through this tough season.
Are you concerned about Christmas this year? What’s helping you? Let me know in the comments below.
Here are several great resources for you!
- Free Christmas Bundle to Remind Us of the Reason for the Season from HISsparrowBlog
- How to Handle Holiday Anxiety During Quarantine from Sarah Geringer
- 4 FUN Christmas Traditions To Do With Your Kids from Alisa Nicaud at Flourishing Today
- How to Handle Holiday Grief During Quarantine from Sarah Geringer
I frequently link up with the following: Grace & Truth with Embracing the Unexpected, Tell His Story with Jeanne Takenaka, and Let’s Have Coffee with Joanne Viola.
I certainly enjoyed your Blog on how to cope during this trying holiday season. I strive to remember the reason for the season and keep focused on that. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Thank you for stopping in, Judy!
It will be different this year, but celebrating Jesus is still exciting!
Well said!
This post was fabulous, and the timing couldn’t’ be better. I was surprised to hear how much you enjoy the celebrations with being an introvert. I am glad you shared that tidbit of information. I am going to feature you this Friday on Grace & Truth Link-Up. It will be perfect as our readers head into the Christmas Holidays. Thank you for being a part of our community.
That’s so sweet, Maree! Thank you!
Great ideas. Especially about remembering the reason for the season. I’ve wondered, with so many things being upended this year, whether God is using them to get us back to our main focus.
Excellent point, Barbara! Thanks so much for stopping by!
Ashley, love your thoughts in this post and the tips are simple, yet can make all the difference! Thank you for the encouragement to remember the reason for the season!
Isn’t it amazing how it’s the simple so many times we need to hear? Over and over again sometimes. 😉 Thank you for your kind words!
Ashley, what a super post. Yes, Christmas will definitely look different this year. With two teen boys, it’s always a gamble on what they’ll want to do (besides be on their screens 😉 ). But the idea of making something fun together, finding ways to make special memories. And yes, remembering Who we celebrate and keeping Jesus as the main focus of our celebration is so important. Thanks so much for your tips here! I love the mindset you’re encouraging.
Thank you so much for stopping in, Jeanne!
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I love these tips! So simple and practical for the exact season we are living in!
Thank you, Rebecca!