Contentment at Christmas

“And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called JESUS, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.”

Luke 2:21 NKJV

Contentment at Christmas 

Christmas stirs up ALL types of emotions- joy, sadness, delight, pain. Just like Mary... she grabbed her tummy during each contraction... the pain is real... but joy was coming! New birth! We praise Jesus the newborn king - destined to die- and then RISE!

The Lord impressed it upon my heart recently a word "Contentment at Christmas"

“Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Philippians 4:11-13 NKJV

Contentment isn’t just saying no thank you to that second round of chips and salsa. Contentment is saying 

“The Lord is my Shepherd... I have everything I need” Psalm 23

Some people have very humble Christmas celebrations. No tree... no presents, just family, pozole, and the Scripture promise that Jesus is coming again. 

I mean think of it.... 

What if you woke up on Christmas morning and it was like the Grinch story.

The cookies stolen.

All gift boxes and bags gone.

Even the outside decor, snatched in the night... 

all the fun of Christmas robbed by CNN. 

(Ha ha ha! Just kidding!) 

What if all we had was our Bible, no light display shows, no gatherings with family and friends, just a Bible, and 

Luke chapter 2. 

Would that be enough?

I have struggled with Christmas this year.

Not because I want a new car, a new body, a diamond ring, my two front teeth, or even a white Christmas... 

honestly... all I want for Christmas is a normal family.

I know... as you read this you may think

“Laura, that doesn’t exist!”

But as I scroll on your Instagram feed, or browse on Facebook or look at parents pick up their kids from school looking forward to Christmas break, my family looks nothing like that and I grieve. 

I know ... I know... 

God designed each family different and it’s wrong to envy that family’s vacation home, or that other family’s homeschool journey and this family’s wonderful Christmas outing... 

So I sigh and pray...

I know better.... 

Lord help me be content, all I want for Christmas is Youuuuuu YOU Jesus !

(Sing in Mariah Carey voice) 

My Christmas is hard.

We have melt downs, pinching, whining, biting, sleepless nights, weird behaviors, stress, tears, sobbing, anxiety and the list goes on.

Truly I confess Autism has robbed the fun from Christmas... 

but it’s ok!

I’m free...

I cried, I confessed and repented and I asked God through tears, please take this pain away! 

God wrapped a gift just for me! 

He gave me a Rhema Word just for 

little me...  

I said,

“GOD take this pain away” 

And God responded

“No my daughter, this pain must be processed”

WOW.

My mind is blown and let me explain...

My husband was recently blessed by a Bible teaching where the pastor gave the image of how film must be “processed”

In the old days of film processing, the photo, the image, the negative image must be processed in the dark. Then the beautiful photo, the Ansel Adams gorgeous photograph can only be processed in the dark. 

What do they call “film processing rooms”?

The dark room.

Wow!

God told my heart 

(Not Audibly of course!) 

“This pain must be processed “ 

So while we baked no cookies in our home, we could not avoid melt downs and we had a very stressful Christmas break so far, I’m choosing to be content ...

Jesus 

You are all I need, all our family needs... because that photograph will be processed and as we process this pain, you will imprint YOUR image in us!