How To Avoid The Christmas Blues

So, Christmas is over. After all that rushing around and preparation, the gifts are open, the feast has been eaten, the anticipation has ended. Now what? That's the feeling that sometimes gets to people in the days following Christmas. So much went into the preparation, now that it's over they are left with a void. It's only natural so in order to avoid this feeling we need to switch our focus from the activity back onto the reason for that activity.

A good thing to do is make a list. Yes, there I go again with the list, but this list is helpful in getting our focus back in place. Make a list of all the blessings from God you have experienced in the past year. It's kind of like the top 20 songs on the past year, or the top 10 movies. It will take some reflecting and remembrance, which is always a good thing too. I can make a short list for you just from this past month as an example:

1. We found out that my wife is pregnant
2. God arranged for all of my children, except one, to live in the same city
3. He provided the finances for me to help move a friend
4. He provided the finances for all the school staff to be paid before Christmas
5. He gave me a glimmer of hope in a situation where there was no hope so that I could have peace this Christmas
6. He reminded me this month of the great friends he has given me as they helped me on a project for someone
7. He allowed me to see the fruit that is being produced in the people of my church
8. He provided a good Christmas for all my children who were together to celebrate it

As I make this short list just from this past month my heart begins to feel really warm and any void that may have started to grow has been stuffed full of these blessings. I suddenly feel very thankful for the love and faithfulness of my God. I want to shout from the rooftops my praise and thanksgiving. He is so good, so very good to me. Now you give it a go.

If you begin to feel this void over the next few days don't think you are a failure or that you don't love God. Such a feeling is natural after a busy season of preparation. What you do with this feeling is what matters. I encourage you, make your list; get your thoughts, heart, and eyes back on Jesus, the one who we are celebrating. With him there is no emptiness or disappointment, only love and security.