What if joy isn’t the only thing we’re feeling during the holidays?

3 min

And the angel said to them, “Don't be afraid. I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people." -Luke 2:10

If it isn’t all joy (#1), peace (#2), and happiness (#3) for you this Christmas, you have company.

Most of us would admit to feeling a complicated mix of emotions about now. Sure, there is anticipation (#4) about the family gatherings, the gift-giving, and the extra downtime, but if we’re honest, we would also acknowledge having some not-so-pleasant feelings, too, like a sense of loneliness (#5), fear (#6), or sadness (#7), not to mention guilt (#8) that we’re just not in the mood.

In fact, some would say that during this time of the year they have as many feelings swirling around inside of them as they will have items on their dinner plate on Christmas day, piled high and wide with a variety of tastes and textures…some of it sweet, some of it savory, some of it tangy, some of it rich and creamy.

But then there’s some of it that will simply not be palatable at all. We will discretely leave this part out on the edge of our plates, to be scraped off later into the wastebasket. That’s all we know to do with the yucky stuff.

The Original Story

In reality, these different emotions are part of the actual Christmas narrative. In addition to their awe (#9) that God would choose them to be the parents of the Savior, no doubt Joseph and Mary also felt a bit of anxiety (#10) about the unknowns ahead of them. And surely there was some disappointment (#11) when they were declined for a proper room and had to settle for a manger as the birthing site for Jesus. Then top it off with some major panic (#12) when they had to get up in the middle of the night and take the little one to Egypt to avoid Herod’s wicked, homicidal plan.

The truth is, the birth of Christ involved a whole range of emotions, so it’s no wonder that we feel a lot of different things as we celebrate. The important thing is that, because of Jesus, joy is one of those things. Yes, there is fear, sadness, and all the rest, but in Jesus there is also the posibillity of joy, sweet joy.

Lost in the Wrapping Paper

Being a Christian doesn’t mean you never struggle with dark and difficult feelings. It just means that joy is always there too, in the mix. Though it might be buried for a season, like a gift lost in piles of wrapping paper, it is always there to be re-discovered.

Someday, when we are in the very presence of the One whose birth we celebrate, joy will be the only thing on the menu. There will no anxiety, no depression, no loneliness and “all things sad will become untrue” (J.R.R. Tolkien).

In the meantime, may the Lord bless you with a heaping measure of joy.

Merry Christmas,

Dave

It’s a new day with God. Run with it.