Restoring Our Rhythms Post-Christmas
By: Jordan Sparnroft
I leave my Christmas decorations up as long as possible. My Christmas tree is first to come down but if I can justify the decor as being ‘wintery’ and not ‘Christmasy’, it stays the whole winter season. It’s hard for me to shake the post-Christmas blues. I love the warm lights, anticipation of Christmas break, family gatherings, and all the delectable foods. I’m the type who loves meeting with God in the early morning hours. If you’re like me, it’s my favorite time of year to have those early morning meetings with God. Of course it can be hard to fit in that time with traveling or late nights with family and wanting to sleep in on those cold, dark mornings. Eventually Christmas comes and goes, all the gatherings have been had and it’s time to pull down the decorations and resume normal life. It’s not surprising that normal life routines tend to lack the luster of Christmas time which makes it difficult to adjust.
When settling back into normal rhythms and routines following the holidays, receive the grace Jesus so freely gives. We are often harder on ourselves than He is. Keeping this in mind will give life to any quiet time you have, no matter your preferences for how you meet with Jesus. Jesus is not keeping track of how often or how long you make intentional time with him, he just wants you to call out his name anytime of day no matter the need or what you wish to communicate to him.
Anytime I am looking to refresh and renew my time with the Lord, I ask myself; How do I connect with God most in this season and how can I make my time with him less of a chore and more of a privilege? Is it through nature? Is it on evening walks? Is it silence in the early morning hours? Is it through journaling or meditation? Is it on my daily commute? Your quiet time doesn’t need to look like it did before or during the holidays.
After looking at your new schedule and asking the prior questions, plan your quiet time. What time of day will it be? Will it be structured with journaling, Bible reading, prayer? Or will it consist of something different every day of however the Lord leads. Remember, God wants to connect with you in the way which he created you. It’s okay if you don’t like a structured quiet time and journaling. It’s okay if you prefer to meet with him at night as opposed to first thing in the morning. As you’re recovering from the holidays and refreshing your time with Him, receive the grace He so freely gives and live in the freedom of how He created you to be and connect with Him in that way.
Jordan lives in historic central Virginia with her husband and daughter. She is a first-grade teacher at a Christian school, and loves early mornings and spending time with her family.
