A New Kind of Normal

As I connect with friends and family, all talk turns to the same subject: Christmas. The lights are up and on. The trees are decorated. Every church has its program scheduled and advertised. Shops are crowded and parking lots are filled. It's the same old same old, isn't it? But what if you're facing a different kind of Christmas this year? What if you're wondering what to do about that empty seat at the dining table? Are you asking who's going to make that special recipe? Is there someone so sick that they can't fill their normal obligations? Because of a medical diagnosis, are you having to completely revise your menu? What if your world was turned upside down this year and you're having to find a 'new kind of normal'? And that includes Christmas?

Don't you wonder how in the world you're supposed to celebrate when you see absolutely no reason to? Growing up I had amazing parents who made Christmas one of the most magical times of the year. Well that changed as I became an adult. Those changes didn't mean anything negative. They were just a new kind of normal. The magic returned when my niece and nephews were born. It may have been different, but it was just as beautiful to be a part of making that magic instead of receiving it.

But I know there are some of you reading this who are wondering. How do I celebrate this year? How can there be any magic when he/she is gone? What's the reason for the decorations if that little one won't be there to enjoy them? Aren't those romantic movies and commercials murder when the romance has disappeared? Who has time for a holiday when life can be counted by the minutes? Do you just pretend? Do we put on that mask and give everyone else the impression that we are alright?

Sometimes what was before will never be that way again. Maybe life is forever changed. We can be living in 'a new kind of normal'. How do we navigate that through a holiday like Christmas? There can be no other answer than carefully. Allow your hand to rest in His. While we try to celebrate His coming in our new way, know that He doesn't expect the old way. He just wants you to acknowledge Him. He just wants your heart this and every other day of the year. Maybe He's carrying you this Christmas, just as Mary carried Him. Let Him. Cry out to Him. And remember that when there are no other answers, when those verses feel empty... There is Jesus. And He's holding you.