“Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.”
If I could be a fly on the wall of the stores on Black Friday, the awkward family holiday dinner fraught with relational drama, or the van of a family rushing from one Christmas event to the next, I’m not sure the feeling I would come away with would be PEACE. It can be a challenge to feel peaceful in a season that has become quite busy and full of obligations. While the Christmas flurry of activities brings a lot of excitement, we all get to a point where we need moments of peace. And peace is a gift that God gave us in Jesus. When I think about how peaceful God’s son must have looked, swaddled and sleeping in the manger, it warms my heart and reminds me of what matters. So how can we engage in holiday fun and still find peace?
Here are some of the ways I focus on peace during this season:
Remembering that God is always in control, no matter what happens.
Allowing myself some white space in my calendar (take a night off to rest!).
Starting the day with prayer that God will help me be at peace and feel His presence.
Finding ways to help others. Giving back spreads love and peace to the world.
What are some other ways you can work on making time for peace in your life right now?
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”