Merry Christmas everyone! We all know this won’t be Christmas as usual. The good news is that despite a pandemic, Christmas is not cancelled! However, it’s going to require a little psychological flexibility to handle this holiday with grace! We need to continue to be mindful of staying safe for a little longer.

One positive of this season is less busyness. Because there are few to no parties, get togethers and large group activities, we have more time  to engage in wellness. So, during this holiday time, take an hour to decompress, make sure you exercise, spend quiet time with the Lord and practice gratitude. Keep your body, mind and spirit calm and centered on the reason for the season.

In terms of family celebrations, get everyone in your family to agree on precautions and boundaries. Not everyone is going to agree on what is safe and what is not. Simple decisions around issues like hugging, wearing masks, spending time with friends could become stressful for families. Thus, each family needs to establish what their guidelines and boundaries will be. I would encourage you to be proactive in terms of what you will and will not do. Make decisions based on risk factors and level of comfort.

Also, let’s remember to pray for the people who will have empty chairs at their tables because they have lost loved ones this year. My colleague is a physician and she talks about the number of patients  who have lost their spouses to COVID. This is happening all over the country. So many lives have been lost due to this pandemic.

Even with all the problems, we have reason to still celebrate. This season reminds us of the greatest gift even given. This gift has not been impacted by the pandemic. It is not unique to this year and lasts for all the years to come. And this gift continues to give and give –right into eternity. It is the gift of God’s own son, Jesus. That gift is always available, free and will change your life forever. It is a gift of hope and causes us to rejoice.

This year, when you look at the lights on your tree, remember that light shines brightest in darkness. It may feel like it is has been a rather dark year. But the heart of the Christmas story is an overriding message of hope articulated beautifully in the lyrics of “O Holy Night.” “O holy night, the stars are brightly shining. It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth.” God entered our lives in the darkness of the night. He is the light of the world. Christmas reminds us that even when things seem dark, we can trust the everlasting light.