December 14, 2020

Photo Credit: Heather Rushton

“And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”  ~Ephesians 4:32

 Something I have noticed over the last few years is how quickly busyness and stress can take over my life. While this is very true in my day-to-day life, I find it to be especially true during the Christmas season, and I don’t think it only affects me. The semester is coming to a close with exams (meaning school stress is at peak level!), and additionally the Christmas craziness has started. Frantic holiday shopping, decorating, and organization of get togethers begins.

 After a while I started wondering, what is missing? Why does it feel like December passes by and I feel like the month has been governed by stress? The more I thought about it, the clearer it became; joy was missing. Or rather, it wasn’t that joy was missing, I just hadn’t taken notice of it. I was rushing through each day and the Advent season, but without seeing the bigger picture as well as recognizing the small joyous moments I had every day.

The time leading up to the birth of Jesus Christ is an exciting time filled with joy and the anticipation of his birth, but joy can also get lost in the busyness of the season. We need to pause and take a second to discover the joy that in reality is surrounding us from all sides! Not only during Christmas time, but throughout the year as well. Joy can be found in the blazing fire that is keeping you warm on a cold night, or in the rays of sunshine that wake you up in the morning. It can be found in the smile of a friend, and especially in the kind gestures of others.

Joy can be found in all our lives, whether big or small, but once you find it make sure to share it with others, like Mary and Josef share their joy with us in the birth of their son Jesus Christ, our Savior.

Prayer: God, help us to discover the joy in our lives that can sometimes get lost in the busyness of life. Help us to share our joy with others just like you share your joy with us.

Helen Opitz is a first-year university Nursing student who currently lives in Wolfville. She is the daughter of Silke and Uli, and the younger sister of Céline. She loves being active, outdoors and is passionate about the environment.