"The Most Wonderful Time of the Year? Really?" by Nancy Elizabeth Gillespie
“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people” (Luke 2:10).
Christmas time is hard. Really hard. Whose idea was it to make everything due by the New Year? We have taxes, finals week, important deadlines, and by the end, everyone’s ready for a long rest. The days are short, and the nights are long. Many tasks are to be accomplished with less and less time to complete them. Study for this course, go buy this gift, attend this event. Finish writing your Christmas cards. Prepare this dish. And so, what is it that makes this the most wonderful time of the year?
I especially look forward to this Christmas; I’m ready to say good riddance to 2020 and finally feel the joy of Christmas even though it will be dramatically different. We’ve all been sick of this bitter isolation, cold distance, and meager circumstances. So many are poor. So many are hungry. So many are frustrated. We have been experiencing these tragedies for so long. We feel forgotten by our fellow brethren. What are we, mere mortals, supposed to do?
Christmas serves as our last-chance effort for some sweetness in a bitter year. We are shepherds chasing the angels to our sign, to our futures, to God. But where is the good news? I am so tired. I trust you, Lord, but I feel so lost. You have left me to make important decisions in the midst of a pandemic that has destroyed so much of what surrounds me. I am being forced into adulthood and college with so many unknowns. The past few months have been painful, and the future is murky; where am I supposed to look for hope? We are never going back to where we were in March. Will normalcy ever be possible?
I take refuge in the verse, “Everything will become beautiful in its time.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11) We are in the midst of a great shift. Perhaps, quarantine has been a blessing in disguise. It certainly has been for me. I finally learned to slow down, release some of my pride, and settle into a better mindset. Some of us have even learned new things: I’m a much better cook, my best friend has started bee-keeping, and my mother has found a new passion for home renovation.
I hope your family has taken peace while in this historic moment. I hope you are reminded of God’s plan, how painful it may be. While we learn of what’s to come, during this holiday season, don’t strive for perfection, strive for the moment; don’t focus on what needs to be done, focus on you and your family’s health. Maintain your solitude and sanctuaries.
Pray for a better new year, but while you rest tonight, like Rosemary Clooney’s song says, “Count your blessings, instead of sheep.”