It’s Ok

It’s ok.

It’s ok if you don’t feel merry.

It’s ok if you don’t feel joy.

It’s ok if you’re grieving a life, you thought you were going to have.

It’s ok if you’re having a hard time after losing a loved one.

It’s ok if you can’t provide what you wanted to under the tree.

It’s ok if you scale back and focus on what you can do.

Why?

Because it was never about feelings anyways. This season was always about his mercy.

What I mean is, it was, is, and always will be about His mercy on us to bring us a Savior this side of heave. God becoming flesh and blood to save us from ourselves. For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16

The absolute best things I have cherished during the season of Christmas were not things wrapped under the tree.

It was having one last phone call with my aunt before she passed.

Having the joy of my kids making Christmas candy with my mom year after year because we didn’t even think she was going to make it past me graduating high school.

It’s seeing a peaceful photo being taken that you have prayed for, for 4 Christmas seasons to happen!

It’s holding onto the surprise that my little brother was coming home from a yearlong deployment and him hugging my dad and mom Christmas evening.

It’s the simple night in watching Christmas movies with my kids, drinking hot chocolate with warm lights of the tree in the background.

It’s a quick chat on the way to work with my bestie telling me how she and her husband pulled something together for a local ministry even though they’re tight just like all of us are.

It’s seeing the playfulness of my kids even though one is a teen an one is under 10 and they’re pulling each other around for “sleigh rides.”

That is Christmas to me.
Anything else is all just extra.

Without Jesus giving me the heart to see those are the real special moments in the season, I’d be seeing it all wrong.

How are you seeing Jesus in the season?

How are you keeping Him the at the front of your family’s hearts?

 I’d love to hear what your traditions are and how you’re doing this.

One thing we do every year that my parents started when my brother and I were kids, is we take Christmas eve communion at their house. It’s simple, nothing fancy. Dad reads the nativity story in his page worn bible; we talk about what the goldfish and cup of cranberry juice represents and then we partake of them.

I’m thankful for them doing this and for my desire to continue to do this with my family.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas season over this next week. When you look at the Christmas lights out and about or on your own tree, remember it represents the light of the Lord in our dark world. And you too, have that light within your heart.

Have a very Merry Christmas everyone.

Jamie Zenteno Ministries

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