It’s the most wonderful time of the year, right? There’s something magical about the twinkling lights on the Christmas tree, the comfort of sweet celebrations with loved ones, and the warm feeling of curling up with a roaring fire on those occasional nights when it dips below 50º in Southern California…

But it can also be hard. SO very hard.

A time when we celebrate the light of the world, the coming of our Savior, can also be a time of stress. The pressures of the Christmas season and the hustle-and-bustle atmosphere that seems to magnify during the last month of the year can leave many moms feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, and depleted.Maybe your family has had a bout of illness recently that has squashed any and all plans to be merry, festive and bright. Instead of building gingerbread houses and going Christmas caroling, you’ve been sequestered to the couch and are just trying to make it day.by.day.

Maybe you’re a mom with a new baby, or have little ones running around your home. Sleepless nights and high-energy toddlers have zapped all of YOUR energy. Instead of nightly advent readings, you say a quick prayer over them while quickly tucking them into their bed and collapsing into your own.

Or maybe, just maybe, life has been a whirlwind. Work schedules, school schedules, or any combination of the above, have made this month fly by. What was meant to be a month of celebration has ended up being a month of busyness.

It’s easy to let feelings of guilt and shame and disappointment creep in when we realize the visions we had of a “picture perfect Christmas” never became reality.

However, the reason we celebrate Christmas is also the reason we are FREE to release ourselves from these feelings. Plain and simple – we cannot do it all. Therein lies our need for Jesus – our Savior. He fills the gaps where we are inadequate. He gives grace when we feel insufficient. He provides rest when we are weary. And He sustains when we feel like we’re carrying too heavy of a load.Moms. Whether you are living that best Christmas life and celebrating the season to it’s fullest, or you are weary and digging deep for joy, in these final few days before Christmas, find some time to do these things:

• Be still. Find some quiet space to take some deep breaths and soak in God’s presence. God loves you and will meet you right where you are. In the messy, in the mundane, in the hard moments – He is there.
  “He says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
• Give yourself grace. We can stop striving for perfection – God gives us everything we need! When we acknowledge our need for Him and give ourselves some grace, we release ourselves from those feelings of inadequacy or guilt.
  “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9
• Be present. Don’t let yourself fall prey to the comparison trap. At the end of the day, do what is best for your family. And with just a few days until Christmas, find some time to be with the ones you love and celebrate the gift we have received. Read through Luke 1:26-2:40. Curl up on the couch and savor the stillness. Drink hot cocoa and look at Christmas lights. Whatever this looks like for you, be present and cherish the gifts you have been given.

There are three days left until Christmas. Make the most of them and stay focused on the beauty of this season – God came to earth in human form to save us.

And the weary world rejoices.

By Stacey Mensik