Simply Christmas a Five-Day Reading Plan to Reclaim the Peace of the Holidays by Tama FortnerSample

Stronger than the Doubt. Bigger than the Details.

Scripture: Matthew 19:26; Luke 1:5-25; Proverbs 3:5–6

It might appear that Zechariah and Mary ask very similar questions of the angel in Luke 1. But look closer, and you’ll see that they are quite different. While Zechariah voices doubt, Mary is simply seeking details.

The answer to both questions is the same: God.

With God, nothing is impossible. He is both stronger than any doubt and able to cover all the details.

This holiday season, we will face the seemingly impossible—and I don’t just mean that never-ending to-do list. We’ll be asked to love the unlovable, to keep the peace with those bent on destroying it, to hold our tongues when we’d dearly love to let them loose, and to give when we feel we’ve nothing left to give. Most important, we’ll be challenged to shine the light of Jesus into the hearts and celebrations of our children, our family, our friends, and all who cross our paths.

When the impossibility of it all overwhelms, when doubts arise, and when the details of how and when and where threaten to drown, remember the answer to it all: God. Our doubts do not diminish His power nor His desire to work in the details of our lives.

O Lord, my God, shine Your light so brightly into my life that it conquers all doubts and all worries about details. Amen.

Reclaiming Christmas

You don’t want to go to the party, the outing, the dinner, the gathering, the whatever, but there are times when you just can’t say no. When I’m stuck where I don’t want to be, I find that the old advice is still so true: stop thinking about myself—whether my outfit is right or just how long I have before my updo comes crashing down—and think of someone else instead. Join the one who’s sitting alone, listen to that preteen caught squarely between shyness and anxiousness to be all grown up, lend a hand to that other mom who just needs a moment of peace. Seek to be a blessing, and you’ll find yourself blessed, even when you’re where you’d rather not be.