Serene Christmas

 

Merry Christmas to you and yours.

It is finally here and with that, the year 2022 is packing up its bags for its trip out. All I want for Christmas this year is serenity.

Calmness of mind; tranquility of temper; quietness; stillness; peace. All the feelings that looking out over a mountain lake early in the morning, just before sunrise, evoke. It is a feeling of everything being where it is supposed to be, doing what it should be at the right time.  

That is a feeling that I realize has been missing from my life for a while now. And I didn’t even notice it was not there until the chaos got too loud.

The chaos of plans gone awry. The chaos of people not keeping their word and turning the tables on your plans for their lack of integrity. The chaos of a worldwide economy in a tailspin. The chaos of lives lost, too many, too close with too little time to grieve before another one is lost. The chaos of days tumbling over one another too fast, time running, things changing too fast too often or staying the same too long, stagnation and upheaval both. Many types of chaos but chaos nonetheless.

I am reminded of The Serenity Prayer: ‘grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change.’ I cannot bring back what is gone; I cannot un-break what is broken, what has passed I cannot reverse. ‘Grant me the courage to change the things I can.’ A new year is beckoning. I can make new plans, start new habits; I can move forward in gratitude for what is in my hands, now.

‘Grant me the wisdom to know the difference.’ This is where the crux of the matter lies. Whose business are you all up in this season? What gossip has you on the edge of your seat? Many things can cause you sleepless nights and cost you a few pounds in weight. Ask for wisdom to pick the right ones. Because the days are short and time waits for no man.

So this Christmas, as you celebrate the reason for the season, my prayer for you is that you will find peace, stillness, and calmness of mind – even for a brief moment. That you may be able to see the vision of your next year clearly in your mind’s eye. That you may set goals that motivate you to move forward every day in their achievement. And most of all, your days may be spent thinking and talking about what really matters to you.

“I will be calm. I will be mistress of myself.” ~ Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility

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