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“They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child” (Luke 2:16-17, NLT).
I had the perfect plan for my husband and I’s first Christmas together. We’d check off a list of 25 holiday-themed Hallmark movies, cuddle in our matching pajamas every night, participate in all the cutesy activities (insert snow tubing, ice skating, drinking hot cocoa, looking at Christmas lights, going to the Zoo Lights, etc.), and get holiday photos. But before I knew it, Christmas had made its grand entrance and exit and I missed it.
A week after Christmas, I remember disclosing my heartache to my therapist. We talked about why I was upset, and how all the things I’d envisioned for the perfect Christmas not only didn’t happen but made me feel like a failure. He said my feelings were valid; I’d created expectations, and they were unfulfilled. But what we do with those feelings is certainly more important.
Though this year was my husband and I’s second Christmas together, there were still things that didn’t go as planned. Our home tested positive for mold, a dog we thought about adopting wasn’t available, and my period hit just when things should have been cheery. But God has gently reminded me in this season that Mary and Joseph didn’t have the perfect holiday either. And yet, their response changed everything.
