We sing about Christmas being the most wonderful time of the year. We wish people a merry Christmas. We deck our halls, jingle our bells, and look at the sky for signs of a sleigh. The emotions tied to Christmas are those of hope, merriment, and wonder.
As we celebrate the birth of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ, we experience those joyful emotions fully.
Yet as moms, we know that there’s more to the season than everything being merry and bright. There are three other emotions every mom experiences at Christmas: overwhelm, disappointment, and stress. Where do these emotions come from and what can we do about them?
1. Moms experience overwhelm at Christmas.
By “overwhelm,” I mean that feeling of having to do extra activities in addition to keeping daily life going. The laundry is still there, but now you have a box of Christmas decorations to unpack. The dinner needs to be cooked, but you also have cookies to bake. You have to go to work, but you want to create magical memories with your kids. And so on and so on forever.
Let’s face it, no matter how intentional you are about limiting activities, you still have more to do at Christmas than at any other time of year. You feel overwhelmed doing basic life functions plus every other “extra” that Christmas brings with it so…
What’s a mom to do with overwhelm?
Here’s what you’re not gonna do: you’re not going to throw your hands up in defeat. Now is the time to put up a fight!
Fight the belief that says you’re not enough and that you have to do more and try harder. Lean into the truth that Christ is with you always, and you are fully known and fully loved. Renew your mind and know that you are sufficient in Christ.
Fight the belief that says you can’t experience joy until the to-do list is completed. Lean into the truth that your body is a temple. Your temple may take the form of a baker, a chauffeur, or a party attender. Commit yourself to look for the sanctified among the commonplace– to let the work of your hands become the worship of your heart.
2. Moms experience disappointment at Christmas.
By “disappointment,” I mean that feeling that comes when you’ve worked so hard and people don’t appreciate your efforts. You baked cookies to decorate, but no one is interested. You planned a family movie night, but everyone has other plans. You’re disappointed so…
What’s a mom to do with disappointment?
Here’s what you’re not gonna do: you’re not going to let it go unexamined. Instead, you’re going to analyze what’s going on in your heart.
