Where God's Word Meets Our Mess
Christmas is coming, which means a lot of smiles, laughter, and general Christmas cheer. But this year feels different to you. This year feels…hard. You’re experiencing a jumble of emotions: "I’m supposed to be excited about Christmas, aren’t I? Why do I feel anxious, overwhelmed, and exhausted? What’s wrong with me? This is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, but I’m ready for it to be over."
Ever since I started Tizzie’s Tidbits of Truth in 2015, I’ve received texts, emails, and words of praise for my writing. Not because I’m an outstanding writer who deserves them. Not because my posts are oh-so-insightful. Not because my writing style or format is particularly excellent. But because countless individuals have made the conscious choice to encourage me.
For the 4th of July, I normally post something about freedom because the 4th of July is all about freedom. However, today's patriotic post includes a special interview with my friend, Kennedy. She’s been engaged for a few months and is getting married on the 4th of July! I’ve enjoyed getting to know her, and I know you’ll enjoy getting to know her, too.
It’s Easter Sunday, and the sun is shining brightly. The daffodils are blooming outside. The grass is finally starting to look green again.
You sit on a hard wooden pew in the old church sanctuary. You are surrounded by a sea of people who seem genuinely joyful. Their cheerful voices echo throughout the entire sanctuary. But Satan’s voice is the only thing you can hear right now.
Even though I haven’t seen that many Hallmark movies, I’ve seen enough to know what the end is going to be: happily ever after. Honestly, Hallmark, you’re deceiving so many women with your cookie-cutter romances. Our expectations for dating and marriage are completely skewed, thanks to you and your sidekick, Disney.
I bet we would all say that we hope 2021 is better than 2020. But what if it’s not? What if 2021 is worse than 2020? My goal for this post is not to make you lose hope but to point you to a hope that we can’t lose.
You were sure that this was going to be your year for finding true love. You were determined that you wouldn’t spend this Christmas alone. You thought you would definitely have someone to kiss under the mistletoe in 2020. But you wonder if you’ve lost your chance at finding someone to spend the rest of your life with.
I know how icky our emotions can seem at Christmastime. They bubble up and bubble over, and we panic. We don’t know what to do with these uncomfortable feelings, so we do anything and everything to not think about them. To brush them to the back of our minds. To forget they exist. And that seems to sort of work. At least temporarily. Until we are completely and utterly alone.
I am not saying that God caused the coronavirus. I am saying that God allowed the coronavirus because He let sinful humans with a freewill choose to sin. (I won’t get into the blame game of who caused the coronavirus because that’s a discussion for another time.) As a pastor recently explained to me, the Fall caused a lot of unpleasant consequences for sinful humanity, including illness and death. But I believe God can still use this messy situation for good…if we let Him.
Tizzie's Tidbits of Truth 