Last week, my wife Linda and I were talking about what Christmas would look like for us this year, with the government’s recent ruling that we cannot gather as families for Christmas.
I said, “I guess that song, ‘I’ll be home for Christmas’, isn’t going to be very relevant this year.” She looked at me and said, “It’ll more relevant this year than ever.” “Really? How?” I asked. She said, “Look at the last line, ‘If only in my dreams…’”
I had never thought of the song in that way. No wonder she keeps saying about me: “Cute, but not too smart.”
Like probably for you, Christmas is one of the highlights of our year. I know it is for Linda – she dreams from Jan. 1 onward about what I may be giving her as a present at Christmas. For me, my highlight is watching my grandchildren excitedly opening their Christmas gifts. But this year, we are going to miss all of this: in all my 72 years of life here on planet earth (though I must admit I don’t remember the first half dozen years or so…) I have never missed one Christmas away from my family.
But this coming Christmas is going to be a tough one for a lot of people. The Winnipeg CTV station has a daily poll in which they ask viewers their opinion on various matters of current interest. Back on Nov. 25 (two weeks before we were told no Christmas at all…) they asked Manitobans, “Are you planning a family gathering over the holidays?” Out of 1,559 polled, only 395 (25%) said yes and 1,164 or 75% said no. When asked, “Will you miss attending traditional holiday get-togethers this year?” 55% said yes and 45% said no.
Then the Nov. 6 CTV Poll asked viewers, “How would you rate your mental health?” 39% said, “I’m doing well.” 41% said, “I’m taking it one day at a time.” and 29% said, “I’m struggling.”
As we get closer and closer to Christmas, we all know that this is going to be a big battle for all of us. So, how do we handle it? How will we cope with the growing sense of frustration at COVID? How do we keep from getting terribly depressed over all that’s happening?
Here is how I am handling it: first of all, I constantly remind myself that God is in control of absolutely everything on planet earth, including COVID-19. He’s not up in Heaven, saying, “Oh no! What’s going on down there?!?!?” He is and He will accomplish His purposes no matter what. And I am reassured that His purposes are always and totally good; as the Psalmist put it: “Oh Lord, You are good and what You do is good.”
Secondly, there is a verse in the Bible that I will be leaning heavily on to sustain me through the upcoming Christmas season: “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7.) So I am bringing all of this to God in prayer, asking Him to give me the needed strength, courage, resolve, fortitude, etc. needed to go through this year’s Christmas.
As I do these things, I find my frustration and anxiety levels dropping incredibly.
I hope yours will too.
