Not a Christmas Catastrophe

(WCWC Dec 2020 - Catastrophe, Elf & Tinsel Word Prompt)

T’was the night before Christmas, & all through the flat,

The family were asleep, even the dog and cat.

No stockings were hung, no presents by the tree,

No gifts for Christmas seemed quite a catastrophe. 

 

The years before there had been gifts aplenty,

But sacrifices had to be made in the year 2020.

With jobs lost, & no blessing of a Christmas bonus,

Would leave most people feeling sad & anxious. 

 

But not this family who knew the true Christmas spirit,

Wasn’t about the gifts or luxury food for a banquet.

It was about having family & friends & showing love.

And celebrating Jesus, their greatest gift from above.

 

So even though there’d be no gifts from Santa this year,

The family’s heart & home were still filled with good cheer.

Silver tinsel sparkled the edges of their bookshelf,

With plenty of ornaments, even Buddy the Christmas elf. 

 

The family awoke on Christmas, happy, singing Carols,

About Jesus’s birth in Bethlehem & Hark, the singing angels.

They hugged & they laughed & they still had food to eat,

Ready to spread the Christmas spirit to everyone they’d meet.

Chocolate is the Answer

What do you do when it’s your child’s last day of school
And you’re feeling emotional, but you smile and act cool?
How do you cope, when you’re losing your hope
And you’re 3 months into lockdown without wine
But you smile and pretend everything’s just fine?
What do you eat when you need a bit of comfort
And a diet or restraint is just too much effort?
Where do you turn when you’re stressed from too much work
And your unsympathetic boss keeps acting like a jerk?
How do you get everything done that needs doing
When the hours are few, but you left still queueing?
What do you do when there are bills to be paid
But you want to trust God so you’ve asked and prayed?
How do you survive when it’s that time of the month
When you’re grumpy and mad and sad and feel bad?
What do you do when you have writer’s block
And you’re staring into space and watching the clock?
Where do you turn when your plans don’t turn out
And nothing goes right and you just want to shout?
Jesus and Chocolate are the answer, my friend…

Re-taking Life's Tests

Some storms in life seem to reoccur
Or the same steep mountains to climb
Giving us another chance to pass
God’s lesson and test, one more time

I had hoped things would work out okay
I have tried to keep a positive attitude
But it’s hard not knowing the future
And still try stay in a hopeful mood 

When those 3am fearful thoughts come
That leave a tightness in your chest
When you’re trying so hard not to quit
And to not feel defeated or stressed

Lord, I need your strength to cope
I can’t go through this again on my own
Please help me to not lose hope
And keep my focused on you alone

To help me pass this test this time
I will study your Word in preparation
Sustained by your calming peace
Passing well will be cause for celebration

Lockdown is like a Vehicle

Life in Lockdown is like a vehicle,
That’s stopped and broken down.
It needs a thorough inspection,
Before you can ride back into town.  

To stay in a good, well condition,
Needs some regular maintenance,
To stop the small things growing,
And keep everything in balance. 

Do you need some calibration?
Are you still running at your peak?
Or does your engine need a booster,
To strengthen you from growing weak?

Does your oil need refreshing?
Do your shock absorbers still work?
Is your handbrake in position?
Does your start-up have a jerk?

Lift your bonnet to inspect inside,
To see what needs addressing.
Take note of all your problems,
But still focus on your blessings.

Is your life’s alignment out?
Does your direction need adjusting?
Are you living on the right fuel,
To keep your life from rusting?

Take your life to God’s garage,
For a complete overhaul.
Let Him repair your brokenness,
And restore you to better than before.