I’m embracing that idea for this week’s post. Also, the words of others often say what I’d like to say better than I can. So I offer you the short, powerful words of theologian and mystic Howard Thurman (1900-1981) on the inclusive symbol of Christmas:
The symbol of Christmas—what is it? It is the rainbow arched over the roof of the sky when the clouds are heavy with foreboding. It is the cry of life in the newborn babe when, forced from its mother’s nest, it claims its right to live. It is the brooding Presence of the Eternal Spirit making crooked paths straight, rough places smooth, tired hearts refreshed, dead hopes stir with newness of life. It is the promise of tomorrow at the close of every day, the movement of life in defiance of death, and the assurance that love is sturdier than hate, that right is more confident than wrong, that good is more permanent than evil.
Howard Thurman, The Mood of Christmas and Other Celebrations (Friends United Press: 1973, 1985), 3
For me, Christmas is a symbol of the deep love of God from which we all come, in which we all live, and to which we all will one day return. Whatever Christmas means to you, I hope and pray that you have a wonderful holiday season. Thank you so much for reading and being a part of this community. I am truly grateful for your company on the road to Becoming Yourself.
The holidays are not going to be normal this year. More accurately, they’re going to be worse. A lot worse. Coronavirus is robbing us of many of the things that make this season meaningful and joyful.
So how do we make the best of a bad situation? Let’s start with two things NOT to do:
1. IGNORE IT – Just put on a smile. Grin and bear it. Don’t worry be happy. Pretend everything’s great. No. It’s not great. Don’t lie to your heart. This whole situation is incredibly difficult. It’s hard and sad and lonely. Pretending it isn’t doesn’t make your pain go away; it just drives it underground where it does its damage in secret.
2. WALLOW IN IT – Everything is terrible. My life is awful. This is the worst tragedy ever. These hard times will never end. This approach is also not helpful. Things are bad, no doubt, but many people have gone through, and are going through, much worse. Choosing to marinate in negativity only serves to prolong your suffering and stunt your growth.
So ignoring and wallowing are out. What CAN we do? Here are three suggestions:
1. GRIEVE WELL – That grief you’re feeling? It’s real. In addition to whatever physical, mental, emotional, or financial knothole coronavirus has dragged you through, you may be one of the many to miss out on treasured family gatherings this year. You don’t get those back. Take fifteen minutes or an hour or a day or whatever you need to just let yourself be sad. Acknowledge your pain and disappointment. Feel your feelings. Grieve well. Then, let it go. Set your grief aside. Don’t get stuck in emotional quicksand. At some point, grieving ceases to be healthy and becomes counterproductive. Focus on the positive things in your life (you probably have a lot of them) and do something productive and enjoyable. Steer your way back toward the light.
2. HELP SOMEONE – You’re not alone in those awful feelings. A lot of other people are having them too. Deliver cookies to someone living alone. Give socks, blankets, and goodie bags to unsheltered neighbors. Donate money to your local food bank. Call your grandma. Doing something kind for someone else, even when you feel terrible, not only helps them. It will make you feel better too.
3. MAKE A PLAN – My wife and I were talking with some good friends about how hard it will be to not see our kids this Christmas. They shared how they’ve learned to make holidays alone more manageable by planning specific feel-good activities in advance. They stock up on their favorite comfort foods, map out a long walk, and create a watch list of favorite movies. My wife and I are going to borrow from their ideas this year, adding in opening presents with our kids on a group video chat.
This holiday season is going to be tough. Avoid the extremes of denying that reality or wallowing in it. Grieve well. Help someone. Make a plan. If you do, you’ll get through this storm, and you’ll take another step toward Becoming Yourself.
So much of 2020 has felt like a waiting period. Waiting for coronavirus news. Waiting for restrictions to end. Waiting for the election. Waiting for a COVID vaccine. It’s been hard to feel any sense of progress. I was reminded of a post I wrote in June of 2019 about how to grow in such seasons. I hope you find it helpful on your journey toward Becoming Yourself.
I feel like I’m stuck in a waiting period. An “in-between” time. On the writing front, my first novel is out for submission to editors. I’ve turned in the rough draft of my second book to my agent, along with a concept pitch for my third to get his feedback. On the music side, I’m a few weeks away from my next worship leading gig, and the music isn’t posted yet so there’s nothing to work on. The place where I volunteer serving lunch to people struggling with homelessness recently had a fire which temporarily reduced both their seating capacity and their need for volunteers. So many of the areas where I invest my time and energy are on pause.
I feel a little lost. I like to be moving forward, growing, progressing. With a number of my normal productive outlets on hold, I’m struggling to find my footing. I find solace in knowing that all development cycles follow this pattern. Seasons of intense growth are followed by periods of apparent dormancy. The vibrancy of spring and summer yields to the mellowness of autumn and then to the silence of winter. It’s the rhythm of creation.
So my challenge is not to fight this season but to embrace it. To learn what this time period has to teach me: Patience. Introspection. Trust. Perspective. To allow myself to listen. To heed the call to “Be still and know that I am God.”(Psalm 46:10).
I’m coming to understand that this too can be a period of growth, but the progress will be more subtle, hidden below the surface. It’s a chance to look inside myself. To do a status check on how I’m really doing to a degree that I wouldn’t normally have the time, energy, or motivation to attempt.
In addition to being attentive to those deeper growth opportunities, I’m also trying to use this time to do those projects that usually get pushed aside. You know the type I’m talking about: Filing. Organizing. Deep cleaning. Future planning. Annual reviews. Over the last few days, I’ve updated the paperwork on all of our financial and insurance accounts in our estate folder, making sure that things are in order should I, or both Lisa and I, unexpectedly pass away. Not glamorous or enjoyable but important. It’s the kind of task I’ll be glad is off my mind when my more creative pursuits resume.
So how about you? Are you in a season of waiting? Are you feeling stuck “in-between”? What ways can you find to grow during this season? What are some tasks you can tackle now that you’ll be so glad you accomplished when “spring” comes back around?Take this opportunity to look inside and do some deeper interior work. Reflect. Journal. Read. Pray. Seek wise council from a trusted friend or a professional to help you work through whatever issues arise. Knock a few tasks off of your much procrastinated to-do list. If you do, you’ll not only feel better – you’ll take another step toward Becoming Yourself.
