A Prayer at Christmastime

FOR ALL THE WOMEN IN MY LIFE

If anyone were able to relate to Christmastime stress, it was Mary. Though the weight of the world wasn’t actually on her shoulders, the one who holds the world in His hands dwelt in her belly! I venture to say the list of things that could have had her in a tizzy on that holy night and in the weeks and months leading up to it would have been far longer than ours, and yet she made a choice: to treasure rather than keep tabs, to savor over striving. (You can read more about savoring Jesus during Advent in my previous post HERE.)

As women we often work hard to fulfill all the roles during Christmas:

joy-giver.

magic-maker.

gift-deliverer.

stocking filler.

card creator.

package sender.

bank statement worrier.

gift card buyer.

list checker.

holiday decorator.

wrapper extraordinaire, and/or

hostess.

If that’s not the equivalent of a part-time job, I don’t know what is. It can most definitely feel like a lot for our shoulders to bear. But the thing is, even if none of this gets done, Christmas still comes. It came. But we find ourselves hanging in the balance: we’ve been invited into the sacredness of expectant awaiting, the hopeful anticipation for His arrival. We have the privilege of partaking in the ongoing celebration, and to pass it on to others. Heaven only knows how God has used our efforts.

But before we are the giver, the Bible reminds us to be the receiver of the gift. Why do you think Jesus, whose resurrection news was first revealed to a woman, was also first present with (within) a woman? We can care so much that we forget to behold the care He’s given us. The angel says to us, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” (Luke 2:10) Replace the word “afraid” with “stressed” or “frantic,” and I bet He has your attention.

And so, friends of Something Like Scales, I offer a gift to you with only a few days left ‘til Christmas, a prayer written by my friend, Katherine, who shares in many of those same roles.

Would you consider SUBSCRIBING to the blog?! You’ll receive a notification approximately once a week with inspiration from the newest post, plus for a limited time, this prayer as a printable straight to your email! Look for “Subscribe to Newsletter” in the sidebar, or if viewing on a smart phone, scroll to the bottom. Then, leave a comment about how God is meeting you in your holiday preparations.

POSTED BY

Jenna

Jenna Kruse is a teacher but not in a classroom. She loves to think outside the box and inside the Word and is daily in need of an attitude adjustment. She is a wife to Justin, a mother to three school-aged children, and a mentor to teenagers and young adults. You can learn more about the heart behind her blog HERE.

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