Happy third week of Advent!

Last week, a friend of mine asked whether I would write a Christmas reflection for this week, like I did for Thanksgiving. I considered it, but after some reflecting on my part I have decided to do something different.

When I was younger, Christmas was a very special time for me. I loved going to events and participating in all our family traditions, and I loved all the planning that went into gift-giving. I loved the beauty of the Christmas Mass, and the spiritual preparation leading up to it, especially in middle school and early high school. Now, as a college student, I still love all of those things, but I often struggle with staying mindful of the whole reason we celebrate Christmas. The past few weeks, I have been rushing from thing to thing, and event to event, and my prayer life has suffered for it. I can only imagine how stressful this time can be for parents of young kids, people with difficult family relationships, anyone grieving the loss of a loved one, and my high school friends still struggling through finals this week. If you have been able to keep your prayer life strong and find some time to relax this season amidst the hecticness, then I am really happy for you, and I pray that you are able to continue that going into Christmas. But if, like me, you are feeling stressed about Christmas right now, I have a simple request to make:

Take some time today to sit with the Lord. 

It doesn’t have to be long. It doesn’t have to be elaborate. You don’t even have to pull your Bible out, although you can if you want to. You were already planning on reading a blog post, so you could do it right now. In a church, in your (parked) car, outside on a walk, or wherever you are, find a place of silence and take a couple minutes to be with God. 

Talk to Him. He is always listening. He came to earth 2000 years ago to be with you today, and longs to help you carry whatever burdens you’re struggling with this Christmas. Share with Him your troubles, and then sit quietly with Him. Let Him speak to you, in the silence of your heart. Let Christ give you His peace, for the “peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).