Post-Christmas

The anticipation of Christmas morning builds each day with every decoration we place delicately around our home. We think of our special ones as each gift is carefully wrapped. Our calendars go beyond our regular routines with parties, prepping, and shopping.

The entire world recognizes the eve of the day as we fall into bed — excited for the joy of sunrise or anxious for the weight of holding this space, we are ready to greet the morning.

Christmas morning reveals to our hearts that there is something bigger surrounding our circumstances. A collective hope for peace, joy, and light to cover our home. It’s a deep breath. A brief pause from carrying the weight of our burdens.

Then, we awaken to another day, fresh with raw memories drifting through our minds. A little uncertainty peeks its head around the corner to remind us that everyday life isn’t Christmas morning. For better or worse, It all just feels different the day after, so we must continue on.

Reflecting on the first Christmas in Bethlehem, when the wise men had continued their travel and the shepherds returned to their flock, a young couple remained with the task to raise a King. Mary navigated her new role of motherhood, pondering all that she knew and the things to come. Joseph carried the weight of fatherhood to a son he embraced as his own. The world had changed and they needed to continue on.

Jesus, the newborn King, arrived on earth to bring the hope of Christmas morning to all. He came to make things different, to rescue our weary souls from the weight of the world. He brings the warmth of peace, the delight of joy, and an unwavering hope in a future abundant with love.

So if today you feel the undercurrent of grief for the peace of Christmas morning, be encouraged, it’s available to you. Hold onto the pause. Burrow deep into the light of Jesus and carry that hope as you continue on.