Can you believe we are already in the Christmas season? I am looking at my calendar, getting ready to turn to the last page of the last month of 2022. I feel like it was just yesterday when we were all in the excessive heat of summer. And yet, I sit here thinking about this past year. While it was full of many blessings and a new grandson, it also saw the loss of my 14 year old dog whom I was very close with and loved dearly. It will be quite a different Christmas without him. He loved Christmas. But this is the moment when I have to make a huge decision: Am I going to dwell on the wonderful blessings this past year brought to me, or am I going to dwell on the sad and hard times the year has brought me. I need to be watchful of where my thoughts are taking me.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 NLT states:
“For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace.
The change of seasons can be exciting and filled with many activities and holidays that we all love to celebrate. But they can also be a stressful time if we allow all our worries and fears about the unknown future or the pains and loss of the past year to begin to cloud our perspective about our lives. The Bible shows us that experiencing good and bad times in our lives is normal and to be expected. Many of us don’t like change. And a lot of us have a fear of the unknown. But we need to remember that God has our best interest at heart and He has a good future in store for us. Nothing is going to happen to us that He hasn’t already provided a way out. We shouldn’t allow changing circumstances to cause us to doubt and question God’s goodness and love towards us.
Jeremiah 29:11 says:
“For I know the plans I have for you” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
We don’t need to dwell on our hurts or pains of the past year. There is a saying I heard growing up from my Pastor and it is: For this too shall pass. Good times and bad, joy and sadness, God is with us every season. He longs for us to come to Him so He can give us joy.
This Christmas season, I pray that you will be able to focus on the blessings and the good things the year has brought you. And although there may be some tears shed, may you always be able to remember a good day that God blessed you with and that you can find joy in today.
Finding Joy In Today 