One of the downsides of having an empty nest is that you can no longer blame your children for things like holiday stress.
Note to empty nesters: Help me out here. Who do I blame now?
Seriously, whether your nest is empty or full, many of us struggle to keep stress at bay at Christmas. That’s why God has given us 6 simple ways to celebrate, and in Part 2 of today’s Glo Girl Guide to Christmas, you’ll discover #3 and #4 (click here to see the first two).
The Glo Girl Guide to Christmas: 6 Simple Ways to Give God Glory & Priority at Christmas
#3 – Celebrate here in the place He has chosen for you.
Deuteronomy 16:11 (NLT)
Celebrate before the LORD your God at the designated place of worship he will choose for his name to be honored.
Deuteronomy 16:15 (NLT)
Celebrate this festival to honor the LORD your God at the place he chooses.
Being homesick (or heartsick) during the holidays is hard. You want to go home for Christmas. You want to be with your family and friends. You long to celebrate Christmas like you did in year’s past.
But now, you live here. You can’t go home for Christmas. And even if you could, it probably wouldn’t be the same. So, what do you do? Settle for a full-blown case of the holiday humbugs?
No, you celebrate Christmas “at the designated place of worship” (Deut. 16:11, 15) God has chosen for you. And that’s here. In the place where you are right now. You honor the Lord in the place He has chosen for you by celebrating here.
When Bill and I moved to Houston 25 years ago, his job responsibilities as Worship Pastor at our church meant that he (we) would always have to be here for Christmas. He’s in charge of the Christmas Eve services, and Christmas Eve at Sagemont Church is glorious, but it’s also a full day’s work for Bill.
I’ll admit, the prospect of not being able to travel and spend Christmas with our extended family was extremely difficult for me. And it took several years before I even began to see the blessings of those limitations.
But it forced me and my family to create our own family traditions which, as a result, have woven us together very tightly. We now have so many happy Christmas memories we treasure together. Plus, it forced me to learn how to cook many of the delicious, traditional, family Christmas dishes my mother and grandmother made. 🙂
So don’t let homesickness or heartsickness stress you out or give you a bad case of the holiday humbugs. If you can’t celebrate Christmas with family who live in another city, state, or country, then celebrate here. Start your own traditions. Build your own celebrations. Honor the Lord by celebrating Christmas here, in the place He’s chosen for you.
#4 – Celebrate by including others and especially those who are alone or in need.
Deuteronomy 16:11 (NLT)
Celebrate with your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, the Levites from your towns, and the foreigners, orphans, and widows who live among you.
Deuteronomy 16:14 (NLT)
This festival will be a happy time of celebrating with your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows from your towns.
If family and friends are near, celebrate Christmas with them. But don’t forget to include others – and especially those who are alone or in need. Prayerfully consider how to include others outside of your family in your Christmas celebration.
These are just a few ideas, but pray about it and the Lord will show you who and how to include others in your Christmas celebration:
- Invite an elderly neighbor to attend Christmas Eve services with you.
- Provide gifts for children who are separated from their parents. Example: Project Angel Tree is a beautiful outreach to children who have a parent in prison.
- Many women’s shelters welcome gifts for the women and children who live there. Everyday essentials like toothpaste, body wash, shampoo, etc. are always appreciated as are clothing and gifts for the children.
- Contact a nursing home in your area. Ask how you and your family can bless one of more of their residents who in need or who will be alone at Christmas.
- I love the Salvation Army bell ringers. Stash some cash in your wallet right now, and dole it out to every bell-ringer you see this Christmas. They will faithfully invest it into the lives of those who are in need.
Even if you’re planning to celebrate Christmas with family and friends, don’t forget those who are alone and in need – and there are so many.
Well, glo girl, there are only 21 days left until Christmas. That’s 21 days to stress out, be homesick, and focus on what you don’t and can’t have this Christmas. OR . . .
That’s 21 days to celebrate!
This Christmas, let’s give God glory and priority. Let’s celebrate here. Let’s include others. This Christmas, let’s glo, girl!
Your sister,
How do you deal with being homesick at Christmas? What do you do to reach out to those who are in need and alone at Christmas? Share your ideas, sisters!