The Christmas season is upon us! It is the season filled with Love, Joy, Peace and Jesus… at least it’s supposed to be.

For many mothers, this time of year brings out a hectic, haggard, to-do-list-crazy version of ourselves. The expectations and decorations tangle our hearts into one big bundle of stress.

Every year we vow to do it better. We vow to start preparing earlier so we aren’t so stressed. We plan to make charts and graphs, and stick to the budget this year. We build out our Christmas Pinterest boards months in advance. This year we will get it all done without the stress, so we can make the season about Jesus.

Are you feeling it already, Momma… the stress of all there is to do? Are the obligations and the To-Do lists already starting to steal your joy? 

This year, like every year, we have the opportunity to make Christmas about Jesus or not. Making Christmas about Jesus is far more than reading the Christmas Story, singing some Hymns, and attending church. It is an attitude of the heart.

So won’t you join me in setting aside the To-Do list for a moment, and take this time to meditate on what The Lord has done in sending His Son?

Let’s think on some of the truths that the Christmas Story reveals about God’s desire for our hearts during this season:

~ After 400 years of silence from God, He fulfilled His promise of a Saviour. Emmanuel tells us we are not forgotten. We are loved, pursued and adopted by our Father God. He has made a way.

~ The grand angel chorus speaks of the splendour and importance of our Saviour’s birth. Let’s not miss Jesus with heads and hearts full of busyness.

~ The humble stable birth tells us we don’t have to be shiny and perfect at Christmas. A heart prepared for The King is more important than a hall that is decked with all the trimmings.

~ The Foretold Messiah, coming as a baby, reminds us that even when it doesn’t look like we would expect it too, God’s plan of salvation is perfect.

Which of these truths do you need to hold on to a little tighter this Christmas season?

My hope is that as you look at what the Lord did on that holy night in Bethlehem, the Holy Spirit would be like a balm to your soul in the midst of the crazy. I pray that you will be able to break free from the expectations that weigh you down and find rest in the arms of your Saviour this Christmas season.

Take some of the non-essentials off of your To-Do list, and make more room for your heart to swell with joy as you remember the coming of our King.

“And [Simeon] came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”” -Luke 2:27-32 ESV