Recapturing the CHRISTMAS Spirit!

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MERRY CHRISTMAS Mommas!

Can you believe that we are only two sleeps from Christmas!?! Crazy how quickly the year flew by!

Can I be honest? I’ve had a hard time falling into the ‘Christmas Spirit’ of it all.  Even after putting up the tree I never fell into my regularly sing-songy Christmas loving self.  I usually keep Mariah Carey’s Christmas album on repeat, wear red all month, and watch every Christmas movie I can get my hands on.  This year, not so much.

I had begun to accept that I wouldn’t feel festive this year, but then we experienced a welcomed interruption….

THE SNOW: A MUCH NEEDED INTERRUPTION

Our little guy woke up and quickly noticed the thick layer of snow that covered the ground. “Mommy it’s snow out there, did you see it!!?”, he yelled from downstairs. Right after breakfast he and I ran outdoors to play; later my husband came out to join us.

Before I go further, I have to explain that my hub is very kind, but he’s the more serious parent.  He likes to jokingly compare my parenting to Miss Frizzle from “The Magic School Bus”, and I tease that he’s Major Payne (from the movie).  I’m the type to let our son make a mess just for the sake of adventure, while my husband stands by cringing with towels hoping no mud tracks on the floors he just cleaned, ha!

Back to the snow: 

My husband came out to play.  Our son saw daddy forming balls in the snow and quickly ran over, and we began building a snowman together.  I turned my back and my husband hit me with a snowball!  Soon our little family was in a snowball fight! I was making snowballs for our little guy and yelling, “Get daddy!” We were running, screaming, laughing, and covered in snow! It was great!

My hub grabbed a table to make a fort while I ran inside to switch gloves… I looked out the window and saw the neighborhood kids entrenching on the fort.  My boys were being pegged with snowballs by an army of five.  The tables turned and soon they were winning! Snowball after snowball the hub and the little guy hit kid after kid, and finally our son yelled a victorious, “Get’em daddy! We win!”

I stood in the window watching and I couldn’t remove the big grin from my face, then I whispered, “Well God, you’re still doing miracles.” 

The snow was just the interruption that our family needed to bring in the Christmas spirit. 

ACCEPT THE INTERRUPTIONS:

This makes me think of the first Christmas story and the interruptions that were present throughout.  

Elizabeth was old in age and she and her husband were probably set in their ways and suddenly they were met with the interruption of bearing a child. That ‘interruption’ would be John the Baptist who would pave the way for our Savior.

Let’s be honest, Jesus himself was an interruption!  A young, soon to be married Mary would be startled by an angel with news that BEFORE her hand was taken in marriage she would become with child.  I can only imagine the challenges that came with this.  Poor Joseph planned to silently break off the marriage, but then an angel interrupted him too! 

We must accept the interruptions in our lives and search for the lessons to be learned along the way. Sometimes they come bearing unexpected blessings and miracles that we hadn’t realized we needed.

THIS WEEK’S CHALLENGE: 

If you’re like us, your Christmas looks a bit different this year with less family and friends around.  Covid-19 has been an interruption that none of us would have ever welcomed.  However, there are hidden blessings that can be found in the midst of its impact.  

This Christmas, I’d like to challenge you to intentionally seek joy and laughter personally or with family and friends.  

I’ve included links below to some indoor and outdoor winter fun ideas!

APPLICABLE BIBLE VERSES: 

Luke 1: 5-38,  Luke 2: 1-21, Matthew 1: 18-21

No matter what interruptions this year has brought along the way, I pray that you and your loved ones take a moment to pause and identify the joy and blessings that are present.

We can all capture the Christmas spirit this year! Let me know in the comments what your Christmas plans are this year.

Merry Christmas, from one mom, to another!