Post-Christmas Wreckage
By Lisa Lakey
Yesterday morning, my house was a wreck—paper, ribbons, boxes, even a stray candy cane found stuck to the floor under the coffee table. It was a stark contrast to the day before when shiny presents skirted around a still-lit tree, our kids anxiously anticipating unwrapping gifts.
But yesterday? Post-Christmas wreckage. We can feel that way inside, too.
Several years ago, my husband and I were barely holding on during a tough holiday season. It seemed we had been hit on every front: a job loss, double sickness, devastating news from a loved one, and a marriage struggling to keep its head above the flood.
My heart mirrored the scraps of holiday festivities—shredded, hollow, and somewhat sticky.
If you and your spouse are dangling by a leftover Christmas ribbon today, you aren’t alone. The holidays can be hard on a marriage. And instead of a hope-filled new year, you might be thinking of calling it quits.
I don’t know the specifics of your season, but I was reminded as I sat in my own wreckage that Christmas wasn’t about shiny ribbons, presents, and baubles on a tree. It was literally about God entering our broken (and somewhat sticky) mess—a mess we couldn’t clean up on our own.
As I sat in the tatters of another Christmas, I held on to the promise that He was with me. And He reminded me of all the good that the hard was trying to overshadow; specifically, my own little boy who snuggled warm in my arms was the most poignant reminder. In that moment, it was enough to hold on another day.
So as you approach what might feel like a hopeless new year, hold on to that reminder. You don’t have to have this all figured out today. And things can get better. You just need to invite Him into the wreckage.
When you feel like giving up on your marriage, here are four things to remember.
The Good Stuff: For nothing will be impossible with God. (Luke 1:37)
Action Points: If you feel like you’re sitting in the wreckage today, invite Christ into your mess. He is Immanuel, God with us. Open your Bible (Psalm 71 is a good choice for when “your strength is spent”) and just be in His presence while you read.
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