Welcome to the NeighborhoodSample

Can you imagine being Mary? Having a baby under really unique circumstances, far from home, and in a barn or cave! Yay, Christmas? Sometimes this season may not seem like the most wonderful time of the year, but rather the most __________. You fill in the blank. What I love about Mary, though, as difficult as it was, Luke tells us she “pondered” it all in her heart. She didn’t gloss over how challenging it must have been and she didn’t pretend there was nothing uncomfortable about it. She saw it all for what it was. And she accepted it.

No matter what this season feels like for you, you are invited to ponder; to think about all of the things and all of the feelings surrounding your life this Christmas. Today, invite a trusted adult or friend to have a real discussion about what you’re feeling this Christmas. Work on naming at least three emotions with them. Heavy? Happy? Sad? Longing? Whatever you’re feeling, know God can handle it! He did with Mary, and He can with you, too.