Aaah Christmas, my favorite time of year! Celebrating the birth of our savior, family/friends, the trees, decorations, lights, holiday lattes, cookies and colder weather. Yes this time of year is the coolest here in Hawaii and I freeze easily. (My husband says I would never make it in the mainland) Ha!
Anyhoo, As I look back over this past year, I was reminded of this time last year. It wasn’t so warm and fuzzy for me. I dealt with fighting off feelings of depression and feeling like a failure in certain areas of my life. I let myself focus on the negative thoughts that overwhelmed my mind and got stuck in that mode for a while. I remember several times telling God, “I’m ready when you are, I can’t do this anymore”. (Yes I was being selfish and wanted to give up at the time) The enemy doesn’t care what time of the year it is, he’ll bombard you with lies and distractions at any point in time so you lose focus of what you have and who you are.
But thank God I was able to get out of that season with the help of my husband, close friends and reminders from the Father of who He created me to be. This year I have learned so much more about who I am and my true identity. Depressed and defeated is not who God created any of us to be.
John 10:10 (AMP) The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].
During that season I couldn’t see that this life was truly a gift! Yes, this life can be hard, but the life we are blessed with was never just about ourselves and giving up when it gets hard. It’s about working together, being a family, One body doing things that help and benefit each other. Loving on others even as we are walking through our own hard times can help us get through our struggles.
So now as I have looked back over the year and I think about this holiday season, I am grateful for the things that God has brought me out of, helped me through and the things to come. I want be better for my husband, children, friends and others I get to share life with. Easy or difficult, I am excited to continue to do the things God has called me and my family to do.
This life IS a gift!! Christmas is a reminder of Jesus, who was born into this world to make a way available for ALL to know the love of the Father.
John 3:16-17 (AMP) “For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He[even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge and condemn the world [that is, to initiate the final judgment of the world], but that the world might be saved through Him.
Through good times and/or hard times, Jesus is there with you through every season!
Merry Christmas!!
Comentarios