The Christmas Blues' or Something More?

Do you ever feel a little (or maybe a lot) let down on Christmas day after the presents are opened up, the dinner dishes are washed and maybe your guests have gone home? After all the hurry to get things done in prior weeks to have "the perfect day" with decorating, planning, and even perhaps going to special events like school concerts or church services only to get to the 25th and sometime during that day think to yourself (or maybe you even say it out loud), "Is that all there was to it." Another Christmas, come and gone. It's like, what do we do now. We can only play with our new toys for so long before we get bored.

Maybe you have never felt this way, and if you haven't you are blessed for sure. But, I must confess that I have in times past. Thankfully not this year. I did not run around trying to get everything done so that Christmas day would be perfect. For one reason I did not have to because I had no family around me to celebrate it with. Instead, we were invited to some friends who were alone too for the day, and we spent it having a wonderful meal and enjoying their friendship. And at the end of the day when we came home? I did not have that feeling of, "is that all there was to it?"

But, I am sure there are those that have a letdown feeling. Perhaps they just felt blue or were even downright depressed, Because after all, for some people the holidays can be hard.

And for some, it is not over with. For some, the holidays don't really end until after the New Year when work resumes and they can get back to putting their attention on that. And in the meantime, their focus is on what they have lost as in a loved one or don't have during this time such as material things.

Yes, the holidays can be difficult. So what does one do?

Well, I have a few suggestions to get you through this time.

First, spend some time alone with God. His birth was the best gift we could have ever been given, at least until his death on the cross which saved us from our in. And those two events will remain the most important until he comes again to take his church home to be with him forever.

Second, preach to yourself what you know is from God. (Believe me, I do this about every day.) When you get down, remember the things you have learned in church or from reading the Bible but need a little encouragement to stay on track and not get depressed.

Three, do a lot of praying! For yourself, for your family, for others!

Then, the Bible says to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Luke 6:31. And so you could visit a nursing home, bake cookies to take to an elderly neighbor, volunteer in a soup kitchen.

There are so many ways we can do for others and when we do, we can get often get rid of those nagging blues that want to keep us down. Because after all the Bible also says that it better to give than to receive. Acts 20:35 These are just a few.

One last thing I want to say is this. If you have followed me for long, some of you know that I have come from a family that has dealt with severe depression. And if it comes down to where you aren't just suffering the blues, but are more severely depressed, you can get help. Don't let it go until it is so severe it will take your life. Because believe me, it can go that far. If you need more information on depression, I encourage you to read my other blogs on it. Put 'When Depression comes Knocking part one' in the search engine on my page, and hopefully those blogs will give you some encouragement.

Depression or just being blue. Neither is fun at all. No matter how long that it does or doesn't last. But there is a help. And there is hope. And our hope is in the One that came to us as a baby over 2000 years ago.



Hi Friends! I do hope you had a wonderful Christmas yesterday! Maybe now, some of you can relax taking time off from your busy schedules and enjoy some downtime. For those of you that can't so much, I remember those times. My mother used to say to me in hard times, "This too shall pass." I wasn't so sure about it when she said that. But you know what? Those times did pass. And sometimes I wish I had them back.Or at least some of them. Now figure that one out! LOL! Be blessed today!