This year particularly I am reminded that Jesus was not born whole out of Mary's head, like Athena out of the head of Zeus. He was born of a real, young, human woman as a small, vulnerable beginning, which reminds us that sometimes the Light we need is small and desperately in need of our protection. It is nearly all potential, wrapped in the most delicate of skins. And so we must tend it carefully, hold our hands around it and blow on it gently, like the tiniest flicker of flame in a rain-drenched forest.
Its weakness at the beginning is not a failing on our parts, as if we would have gotten a stronger, more self-sustaining gift if we had been more faithful. The gift of the baby Jesus is that God trusted us to care for and protect him, to build him up until his outer strength matched his inner Light, to teach us that this is a team effort, to show us that He also has faith in us.
As a new mom (big sigh and big prayer for pandemic pregnancies and births this year), this comment was really encouraging and powerful for me to read. Our Christmas will be very small, just me, husband, and precious little one. I’m trying to feel that holiness deeply and your comment helped. Thank you.
I had a baby- my first baby- back in April. Only now have I really been able to talk about how terrible those first few months were. How terrified I felt. All I wanted to do was be in love with my son and share him with my big family, but we were trapped in our home, looking at friends and family through a window. Afraid to go anywhere or do anything. I was so low. Bad thoughts. As my hormones regulated, I have begun to feel better, but there is still so much sadness and regret when I try to process my baby’s first few months on this earth. Bless you and your new one. My prayer is that this experience makes us and our families stronger.
Myself and my best friend had babies this year. Ours was born beginning of September (our second), and they just had theirs (their third). It’s so bizarre and sad that the last time most of my friends saw me in person I wasn’t even pregnant enough to be showing, and the next time they’ll see me our littlest will probably be 6mos old (or more). And that my dear friend now lives only a 5hr drive away, but we can’t just drive down and hold her baby and love on them and let the cousins play together.
Having a baby during this is such a thing. Praying for you, mama.
Blessings on your new baby, and on both of you as new parents! It is hard, real, holy work you are doing, that we all benefit from. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Despite following all the Coronavirus guidelines, I got COVID19 because I had to keep working (in a grocery store - believe me, I applied for a lot of other jobs) and my wife got it, too. She is sicker than I am, despite me having higher risks. Can I ask for prayers for quick and complete healing, and a joyful Christmas despite this, my own personal shitshow?
Update: we had a joyful Christmas, utilizing Discord to spend time with our 22 and 25 year old kids. We have mostly recovered, with only a runny nose, some coughing, and loss of sense of smell and altered sense of taste remaining. Thank you all for your kind prayers! ♡
I am headed in for shoulder surgery on Tuesday - it’s a 12 year old injury - it happened during something traumatic at 14 years old. I’ve also had a number of other surgeries for other things and my mom has always been with me. Because of covid, this is the first time my mom won’t be with me when I wake up from surgery or in the initial difficult days after. I’m worried because the injury came from trauma and I’m worried because I wish my mom would be there, so I could really use some prayer for courage, patience, a smooth surgery and speedy recovery, and the ability to ask for help if I start to feel like I’m drowning
I’m praying for you right now, Meredith. May you have the courage of baby learning to walk. I’m watching mine try to walk right now and I’m telling ya- it takes a shitload of courage to keep getting back up after as many times as he’s fallen down. So you will too. You may be afraid when you wake from surgery, but you will sit with the fear. Just sit with it, and then try to love the fear the way your mama loves you. Give that fear some compassion and a little room inside your head to just exist. And soon you will find that you feel better, more courageous. Being brave isn’t being unafraid. Being brave is being afraid, but doing it nonetheless. I love you.
Helen: a delayed response, but I'm sitting here trying to fall asleep because surgery tomorrow, and re-reading your message is bringing tears to my eyes and a sense of peace, Thank you thank you thank you for your kind words and for your prayers. I will be afraid and brave all at the same time tomorrow - and I know it will be worth it. Sending love
Can I share a whole different perspective? This is my 5th Christmas since my husband died. All other years I've just been going thru the motions. And this year, the Joy of Christmas is back, arriving on the 16th. So, I want to share it with you, it's there, buried deep inside you, A spark. My hope/prayers that this Joy bubbles up to you!
As I have found myself in the deep frustration, sadness and despair, as we have all experienced over the past several months, I was once again in that place realizing that this Holiday season would be very very different. We have an annual Holiday party for our family in recovery where they can bring their own family to sometimes experience their first sober Christmas and maybe their kids get to see their parents sober at Christmas for the first time. (It's truly a miracle to see). That's probably the biggest thing I will miss this year. My wife and I, feeling sad and helpless about the state of things asked ourselves what could we do. So after a good week of baking and decorating cookies, wrapping little dollar store goodies we set off this weekend to make deliveries. We donned our mask and "gay" apparel (ugly Christmas sweaters and deelybob headbands from the dollar store) We made about 26 stops, 200+ miles, singing "we wish you a Merry Christmas" or the occasional "We wish you a Happy Chanukah". After our last stop on Sunday night at about 6pm we were absolutely exhausted, grateful and broke into tears. It was such a moving experience, Friends that are elderly and homebound and not seeing anyone for months, to see their face light up when they answered the door to singing of an off key Christmas Carole, hand them a goody bag and be on our way. We were so happy to see friends faces, to say hi in person ,(from a 6ft distance) and even though we didn't hug or visit for any length of time, my spirits were truly lifted. I felt like for the first time I really understood and felt what the spirit of Christmas is truly about.
How can I serve others and serve God in these continuing uncertain times? Something I continue to pray about. What can I do today? Sometimes it just about being nice and sometimes it's just about minimizing damage by keeping my mouth shut. Thank you God for all the blessings in my life, keeping my friends and family safe and healthy, a roof over my head and food in the fridge. Amen
Also loved The Happiest Season! I'm having trouble praying lately - like what do I even ask for in a world where people are sometimes fine one day and dead two days later?? But I guess I'm asking for some special peace and comfort feelings for my friends who are having the hardest of times this season - one friend whose dad is in a physical rehab facility where he's quarantining due to COVID exposure especially. This friend has a terrible time at Christmas anyway and that was sort of the last straw. I just want her to feel some of the good that I know is out there.
1. Being invited by a local Presbyterian church to participate in their Christmas virtual children's worship. I play the innkeeper. I have one line, but I just absolutely love it.
2. I watched Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas for the first time in years. I'd forgotten how incredibly sweet it is. It's so simple and so pure. I just loved it.
Lord help my friend with schizophrenic psychosis. medication is not working. Stood in freezing cold for 8 hours and refused to come inside because Jesus was coming to take all to heaven. I cry as my heart breaks and i struggle to have any faith- dear God have mercy.
Nadia you have been a life line for me now for months, I drank your kool-aid and bought a subscription. Your words have touched my soul. I have put some on my Facebook feed. I look forward to your every post! Most times you have nailed it.
I know we all have loss so much this year. I decided to look at the gifts that I recieved.
Difference between lonely and solitude! The time to really care for myself. The gifts that meditations has given me. Slowing down! A state of calmness.
I feel this prayer. I have been feeling like I am losing my mind. Desperately trying to find something to hang onto. Nothing is working like it used to. Damn you 2020!
The one at the beginning of the post. I *think* it is Our Lady of the Sign. It is Mary with "Icon Jazz Hands," ;) and Christ (full grownish Christ) is inside of her in a circle (also with Icon Jazz Hands. ;)).
I am a firm believer in the fact that God brings us what we need when we need it, usually in the form of a human or in this case a human sharing her Sunday prayer with us. You speak my language and in this case, you read my mind.
Thank you for your share and thank God for our ability to believe in a time when frankly, I don't believe in much. I'm like that cartoon of the man hanging off a cliff, holding onto a Charlie Brown Christmas tree of a branch and the voice says, "let go". HELL NO! I can't trust that I'll be caught in time!! Grief has made me extremely angry and sad (my sister died of COVID in July). To be brutally honest, the only reason I'm still here is because of my 31 year old son and his new bride and my saint of a partner. Otherwise, I'd be on the other side, I'm quite sure...or not.
Anyway, thanks for sharing and I hope we all get through this without contracting diabetes and a forever love of stretchy pants.
This year particularly I am reminded that Jesus was not born whole out of Mary's head, like Athena out of the head of Zeus. He was born of a real, young, human woman as a small, vulnerable beginning, which reminds us that sometimes the Light we need is small and desperately in need of our protection. It is nearly all potential, wrapped in the most delicate of skins. And so we must tend it carefully, hold our hands around it and blow on it gently, like the tiniest flicker of flame in a rain-drenched forest.
Its weakness at the beginning is not a failing on our parts, as if we would have gotten a stronger, more self-sustaining gift if we had been more faithful. The gift of the baby Jesus is that God trusted us to care for and protect him, to build him up until his outer strength matched his inner Light, to teach us that this is a team effort, to show us that He also has faith in us.
As a new mom (big sigh and big prayer for pandemic pregnancies and births this year), this comment was really encouraging and powerful for me to read. Our Christmas will be very small, just me, husband, and precious little one. I’m trying to feel that holiness deeply and your comment helped. Thank you.
I had a baby- my first baby- back in April. Only now have I really been able to talk about how terrible those first few months were. How terrified I felt. All I wanted to do was be in love with my son and share him with my big family, but we were trapped in our home, looking at friends and family through a window. Afraid to go anywhere or do anything. I was so low. Bad thoughts. As my hormones regulated, I have begun to feel better, but there is still so much sadness and regret when I try to process my baby’s first few months on this earth. Bless you and your new one. My prayer is that this experience makes us and our families stronger.
Myself and my best friend had babies this year. Ours was born beginning of September (our second), and they just had theirs (their third). It’s so bizarre and sad that the last time most of my friends saw me in person I wasn’t even pregnant enough to be showing, and the next time they’ll see me our littlest will probably be 6mos old (or more). And that my dear friend now lives only a 5hr drive away, but we can’t just drive down and hold her baby and love on them and let the cousins play together.
Having a baby during this is such a thing. Praying for you, mama.
Blessings on your new baby, and on both of you as new parents! It is hard, real, holy work you are doing, that we all benefit from. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Despite following all the Coronavirus guidelines, I got COVID19 because I had to keep working (in a grocery store - believe me, I applied for a lot of other jobs) and my wife got it, too. She is sicker than I am, despite me having higher risks. Can I ask for prayers for quick and complete healing, and a joyful Christmas despite this, my own personal shitshow?
Yes! 🙏🏻
Thank you!!
🙏
Prayers for healing, comfort and peace.
Thank you!
I’m praying for you right now.
Thank you!
Audrey, I pray for complete healing for you and your wife. And, may those healings be an encouragement to others.
Thank you!
Audrey, I am praying for you and your wife. 🙏🏻❤️
Thank you!!
Update: we had a joyful Christmas, utilizing Discord to spend time with our 22 and 25 year old kids. We have mostly recovered, with only a runny nose, some coughing, and loss of sense of smell and altered sense of taste remaining. Thank you all for your kind prayers! ♡
I am headed in for shoulder surgery on Tuesday - it’s a 12 year old injury - it happened during something traumatic at 14 years old. I’ve also had a number of other surgeries for other things and my mom has always been with me. Because of covid, this is the first time my mom won’t be with me when I wake up from surgery or in the initial difficult days after. I’m worried because the injury came from trauma and I’m worried because I wish my mom would be there, so I could really use some prayer for courage, patience, a smooth surgery and speedy recovery, and the ability to ask for help if I start to feel like I’m drowning
I hope your surgery went well yesterday Meredith! I'm praying now for your recovery.
I’m praying for you right now, Meredith. May you have the courage of baby learning to walk. I’m watching mine try to walk right now and I’m telling ya- it takes a shitload of courage to keep getting back up after as many times as he’s fallen down. So you will too. You may be afraid when you wake from surgery, but you will sit with the fear. Just sit with it, and then try to love the fear the way your mama loves you. Give that fear some compassion and a little room inside your head to just exist. And soon you will find that you feel better, more courageous. Being brave isn’t being unafraid. Being brave is being afraid, but doing it nonetheless. I love you.
Helen: a delayed response, but I'm sitting here trying to fall asleep because surgery tomorrow, and re-reading your message is bringing tears to my eyes and a sense of peace, Thank you thank you thank you for your kind words and for your prayers. I will be afraid and brave all at the same time tomorrow - and I know it will be worth it. Sending love
You got this. ❤️
Can I share a whole different perspective? This is my 5th Christmas since my husband died. All other years I've just been going thru the motions. And this year, the Joy of Christmas is back, arriving on the 16th. So, I want to share it with you, it's there, buried deep inside you, A spark. My hope/prayers that this Joy bubbles up to you!
As I have found myself in the deep frustration, sadness and despair, as we have all experienced over the past several months, I was once again in that place realizing that this Holiday season would be very very different. We have an annual Holiday party for our family in recovery where they can bring their own family to sometimes experience their first sober Christmas and maybe their kids get to see their parents sober at Christmas for the first time. (It's truly a miracle to see). That's probably the biggest thing I will miss this year. My wife and I, feeling sad and helpless about the state of things asked ourselves what could we do. So after a good week of baking and decorating cookies, wrapping little dollar store goodies we set off this weekend to make deliveries. We donned our mask and "gay" apparel (ugly Christmas sweaters and deelybob headbands from the dollar store) We made about 26 stops, 200+ miles, singing "we wish you a Merry Christmas" or the occasional "We wish you a Happy Chanukah". After our last stop on Sunday night at about 6pm we were absolutely exhausted, grateful and broke into tears. It was such a moving experience, Friends that are elderly and homebound and not seeing anyone for months, to see their face light up when they answered the door to singing of an off key Christmas Carole, hand them a goody bag and be on our way. We were so happy to see friends faces, to say hi in person ,(from a 6ft distance) and even though we didn't hug or visit for any length of time, my spirits were truly lifted. I felt like for the first time I really understood and felt what the spirit of Christmas is truly about.
How can I serve others and serve God in these continuing uncertain times? Something I continue to pray about. What can I do today? Sometimes it just about being nice and sometimes it's just about minimizing damage by keeping my mouth shut. Thank you God for all the blessings in my life, keeping my friends and family safe and healthy, a roof over my head and food in the fridge. Amen
That sounds like a very creative and effective response to your current restrictions. Thank you. x
Also loved The Happiest Season! I'm having trouble praying lately - like what do I even ask for in a world where people are sometimes fine one day and dead two days later?? But I guess I'm asking for some special peace and comfort feelings for my friends who are having the hardest of times this season - one friend whose dad is in a physical rehab facility where he's quarantining due to COVID exposure especially. This friend has a terrible time at Christmas anyway and that was sort of the last straw. I just want her to feel some of the good that I know is out there.
1. Being invited by a local Presbyterian church to participate in their Christmas virtual children's worship. I play the innkeeper. I have one line, but I just absolutely love it.
2. I watched Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas for the first time in years. I'd forgotten how incredibly sweet it is. It's so simple and so pure. I just loved it.
Best. movie. ever.
Lord help my friend with schizophrenic psychosis. medication is not working. Stood in freezing cold for 8 hours and refused to come inside because Jesus was coming to take all to heaven. I cry as my heart breaks and i struggle to have any faith- dear God have mercy.
How heartbreaking. Praying with you.
Nadia you have been a life line for me now for months, I drank your kool-aid and bought a subscription. Your words have touched my soul. I have put some on my Facebook feed. I look forward to your every post! Most times you have nailed it.
I know we all have loss so much this year. I decided to look at the gifts that I recieved.
Difference between lonely and solitude! The time to really care for myself. The gifts that meditations has given me. Slowing down! A state of calmness.
1. That we will read the Christmas story to each other and light candles.
2. That Christmas comes, Christ comes
🙌🙌🙌 to not judge people who take Covid less or more seriously. Thank you Nadia.
I feel this prayer. I have been feeling like I am losing my mind. Desperately trying to find something to hang onto. Nothing is working like it used to. Damn you 2020!
Can we please talk about this icon? It woke me up this morning.
The one at the beginning of the post. I *think* it is Our Lady of the Sign. It is Mary with "Icon Jazz Hands," ;) and Christ (full grownish Christ) is inside of her in a circle (also with Icon Jazz Hands. ;)).
Thank you. I'm praying with you.
Nadia, the legend. Ever, forever! Happy Christmas!
I am a firm believer in the fact that God brings us what we need when we need it, usually in the form of a human or in this case a human sharing her Sunday prayer with us. You speak my language and in this case, you read my mind.
Thank you for your share and thank God for our ability to believe in a time when frankly, I don't believe in much. I'm like that cartoon of the man hanging off a cliff, holding onto a Charlie Brown Christmas tree of a branch and the voice says, "let go". HELL NO! I can't trust that I'll be caught in time!! Grief has made me extremely angry and sad (my sister died of COVID in July). To be brutally honest, the only reason I'm still here is because of my 31 year old son and his new bride and my saint of a partner. Otherwise, I'd be on the other side, I'm quite sure...or not.
Anyway, thanks for sharing and I hope we all get through this without contracting diabetes and a forever love of stretchy pants.
Peace-Elizabeth