In honor of our decorating festivities, I made cut out cookies last night - using my new Christmas tree cutter that is so stinkin' cute. (And big. I love a big sugar cookie.) We'll decorate them together this afternoon and see what kind of creations the tenants come up with.
And the day after Thanksgiving, our town had a proper Hallmarky tree lighting ceremony. It was freezing, so we stood all bundled up in hats, gloves, scarves, and coats, and it was absolutely worth it. ABSOLUTELY worth it. I told my mom I may be ruined for life when it comes to ever living anywhere other than a cute little Hallmarky town.
It feels like Christmas this year. The pretty lights, the music, the cookies, the tree lighting...it's fun and festive and feels good.
But oh goodness, there have been so many years when it didn't feel good. It didn't feel like Christmas. It didn't feel normal. And that is precisely why it's important to NOT depend on your feelings.
The year I wrote my Advent book, which was a few years before I published it, Christmas did not feel like Christmas. I went through the motions, but my heart wasn't in it. And it was precisely in that year that I had such a beautiful season of learning from the Lord that spilled over into the making of that book.
Sometimes the seasons that feel the worst...or don't even feel at all...are the most beautiful in the long run.
This year, for as long as the Lord allows, I plan to soak up all the goodness of the feelings. I plan to sit beside the lights, walk in the snowfall, listen to the music, watch the movies, eat (minimal) cookies, and appreciate the goodness of feeling fuzzy. But if the season should go numb, I will do my best to pull close to Jesus and allow Him to remind me that it isn't about the feelings.
I hope your Advent season brings some beautiful things. But if it isn't your favorite season, I still hope it brings a fresh reminder of His goodness, which never changes.
Much love to you all this Advent season!
1 comment:
I realized last year that my favorite thing about Christmas is the music. I love both the sacred and the secular. You don’t get to hear it the rest of the year, so it’s all the more special. It’s like reconnecting with an old friend. Handel’s Messiah is probably my favorite!
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