A Good grief Christmas Part 4

Recap

This Christmas we have been playing with a series called...

A Good Grief Christmas

In this series We looked at Charlie Brown in his Christmas special and how he was so forlorn about Christmas. He like the gifts and lights and cards but all that stuff seemed to leave him wanting more. Like Christmas should be about something else.

It isn’t till near the end of the 25 minute special, (spoiler alert) that Linus tell Charlie Brown about the birth of Christ and why that is the reason we celebrate Christmas.

In this Special many of us find it easy to relate to Charlie Brown. Christmas is often an exhausting time filled with disappointments and frustrations and for many people Christmas is not a time of happiness and celebration but rather of depression and unfulfillment.

So we set out to figure out why.

Unrealistic Expectations

Fear

Grief

But today as we finish up this series I want to look at the reason this season often leaves us feeling drained, exhausted and how boxing day has become the favourite holiday for so many because it is the furthest possible time away from next years Christmas.

It is because Christmas is so darn...

Busy

Don’t get me wrong, we do it to ourselves and often enjoy every minute of it while we are doing it, but afterword who among us isn’t exhausted because of the busy Christmas season.

And who wouldn’t be after all the Work Christmas parties, and all the many shopping trips, and Christmas concerts both school and church. How many people here have attended at least 2 different Christmas concerts this year again both school and church. Anyone go to three? anyone more than three?

Then there are the church parties which we are doing ours after Christmas this year to try and space out some of the busyness. Then Christmas day. Christmas Eve services. Depending on your traditions that day can be pretty busy.

Back when I was living with Mom, It would start Christmas eve when we would go up the hill to watch my Grandparents we would wake up go to my sisters house for like 5 am for breakfast and watch them open their gifts, then off to my other sisters house to watch them open their gifts. Then it was a race back home to start the family meal and open our own gifts . Then we ate Family meal. Then it was off to Aunt Roxie’s and Uncle Daves to watch them open and have some snacks. Then home to go to bed.

See busy.

No wonder we get so warn out at Christmas.

So today I want to give you a couple gifts, that will help you to recoup from the holiday hustle and bustle. They are Spiritual disciplines that can be found in

Before I read let me give you a little background.

Lamentations 3:21–29 NLT

Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord. And it is good for people to submit at an early age to the yoke of his discipline: Let them sit alone in silence beneath the Lord’s demands. Let them lie face down in the dust, for there may be hope at last.

Lamentations 3:21-29

So what are the disciplines that will help you recoup after the Holidays?

Silence and Solitude

Me: Can’t go 0-60 My pic. plus camp story

We: We want quick fixes but the ones that are healthy take time, like diets and exercise Spiritual Disciplines are the same way. No Marathons.

God: Overwhelmed spend time in silence and alone with God.

You: Spend time alone in silence with God

We:

We: We all need this...

Next Step:

Put it into practice