How to handle the days after Christmas.
What are your activities on the days after Christmas? Many of you might be returning to the regular work force while children are still home from school. Or are you among the creatives at home sadly looking at mounds of disheveled papers which once wrapped anticipated presents? Possibly you are still surrounded by the family who have come to visit, so dealing with taking down the decorations will come at a later date. My question for all of you is this: after THE BIG DAY CELEBRATION, now what will occupy your time?
Emotional Challenge for Type Four in the Enneagram.
I am a Type Four in the Enneagram. If you are unfamiliar with this term, check out The Road Back To You by Ian Cron or go to his Instagram. They will help you understand my explanation. Type Fours can experience intense feelings. This was very helpful because it gave me some clues as to why I was overly emotional the days after a big celebration. In gaining this insight, I gave myself permission to deal with the days after Christmas in a creative way.
Can You Relate to these Feelings?
Ponder what has just taken place the last four weeks (which is Advent). Everything has been preparing for THE BIG DAY and then… My Creative Type Four is not the one who wants to make sure the house fits in a Hallmark Movie. In fact, I have to work hard on my comparison side as I see the creative homes expressed on Instragram so I don’t get down on myself. I truly do enjoy the sights, sounds, warmth, and color of the season, but just don’t expect Martha Stewart style decorations or food from me. As you have read in my past posts, my creative spirit goes to a deep contemplative area. For you see, I enter into the season from a different angle.
What to do the days after Christmas?
Now, as we are in the days after Christmas, does anyone say “Have a good… day after Christmas?” in contrast to before, when everyone was saying “Merry Christmas” all the time. I do confess a personal sadness as the second and third days go by. The wonder and awe we just celebrated has slid back to the “same old same old”. I woke up to regular music on the radio instead of “Joy to the World”. You may say, “YAY” because you have been hearing Jingle Bells since Thanksgiving and are tired of it. I love the worship-filled Christmas tunes because they contain a message that point to a unifying TRUTH we can all look to.
Our family watched the movie THE NATIVITY STORY, on Christmas Eve after returning from the candlelight service. Christmas is not only a celebration for one night and day, but opens doors, possibly for the first time, in some souls. It also takes place over and over again every year in those with open hearts. The story does not end when Jesus comes into this world. Actually, this is only the beginning. Consider your activities as these days after Christmas continue :
- Go Slow
- Go to the Stable
- Go to Kneel at the Manger and
- Allow this “beginning” into your everyday life.
“This is how much God loved SANDI: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that SANDI WOULD NOT BE destroyed; by believing in him, SANDI can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling SANDI how bad SHE was (is). He came to help, to put SANDI right again. John 3: 16-17 The Message.
John 3 16-17 The Message ( I put my name in special places)
In this quote from the Bible, I changed a few words. As you can see, each word that is large is where I personalized it. Grant yourself permission to do the same with the quote. Engage and recognize the Gift God is still giving you through His Son.
Mold this into a personal prayer of contemplation. Allow this Gift of Christmas to take root in your heart. After all the papers are disposed of, the decorations put away, and the Christmas tunes no longer played on the radio, the message of God’s love for us has only just begun. 🙂
As I write the final post for 2019, I ask of you this request. Give yourself permission to RECEIVE the gift God is giving you. Take time to REFLECT upon this wonderful gift of Life and Freedom. How is God asking you to RESPOND to the GIFT of LOVE, that He has given to you?
I am always here to connect with you. Blessings.