Coping With Christmas

It is often said

That Christmas brings with it

High anxiety, stress and depression

And the reason for such darkness

Finances, family troubles and sickness

And many, many more the like

To these are often added

Travel problems and displacement

An ice storm strikes and all power comes crashing down

Many find that they are displaced

Forced to huddle on an airport floor

Or spend Christmas in a warming shelter

Christmas dinner coming from a vending machine

And Joseph and Mary were forced from their home

So that Joseph might register in his birthplace, Bethlehem

And Mary’s baby was about to be born
No room could be found but to shelter in a cave
With only the animals breathe for warmth
And straw for a bed
And there He is born
Only to uproot and flee again
The murderous threats off a madman

And so that first Christmas began in all such stress

Perhaps the reason why this season
Brings with it such anxiety and depression
Is the expectation that Christmas must be
That perfect time when all is well
When only joy and happiness prevail
And hearts are filled with rejoicing and celebration

But the reason for Rejoicing and Tidings of great Joy
Is not that all is well in the world
But in spite of all our troubles
Hope has come to be with us
And lead us through to find solutions

So when we see people helping people
We see the true Spirit of Christmas
Salvation in other words 

The solution to death
Is now resurrection and eternal life
The solution to an imperfect world
Is the motivation to work to mend what can
The solution to hate and war
Is the work of peace and forgiveness
And all that the Beatitudes teach us

In the world's long lists
Of ways for coping with Christmas
They fail to understand
That the Real and True Christmas comes
As the way to cope with all
That stresses us at Christmas time and beyond

It brings into our lives the renewal of our faith
That through prayer and devotion
And the receiving of the Grace of Christ’s presence
Our minds can be enlightened
To new and real reason for Hope in the world
That our hearts be healed
And motivated through Christian love
Which is Christmas love
To be co-redeemers with Christ in a broken world

Coping with Christmas is replaced
By cooperating with Christmas

Need proof – read again the beautiful Christmas stories