A Christmas Surrender

The Christmas season has looked very different for us this year due to illness striking our home and taking its sweet time to make the rounds. My expectations and exciting plans were crushed.

Christmas parties and special surprises were cancelled over and over.

With 2 weeks until Christmas eve, we didn't even have a tree. I was crushed.

I was waiting for the perfect moment for a beautiful family photo in the snow for our Christmas card.

I continued to pray for health with each upcoming event, and someone else got sick.

Finally, one morning I surrendered. I stopped praying for health and prayed, instead, for peace, for adjusted expectations, and for joy in God's plan, although it looked vastly different than mine.

As I finished praying, I looked up, and there, outside the window, was the entire towns' squirrel population pillaging the beautiful basket of treats I left out for the delivery men. There was nothing to do but laugh.

I couldn't help but think that God brought the squirrels to see if I was really relinquishing control of this season and trusting Him with His plan.

And you know what? With that laughter I released it all and began to embrace the cancelled plans that were replaced with reading books, playing games, and watching endless Christmas movies together (between wiping surfaces, wiping noses, and wiping tears.)

The “big things” were in the small things this year, like an exhausted and sick daddy making his way out to hang the lights on the playhouse to surprise his littlest, and the smile on her face when she saw them glowing in the dark.

This year we were forced to strip down all the extras and fully embrace the most important things: one another, the beauty of surrender, and above all, a God that can be trusted in our plan B.

We are finally better now, and I can honestly say that this might be one of my favorite Christmas seasons I’ve had.