Turn Stressful Holidays Peaceful

The holidays are meant to be a joyfully celebrated time of year; however, all of the additional planning, spending, and preparing can be stressful, causing our anxiety levels to rise. And for those of us—myself included— who feel we have to plan everything down to the very last detail, this time of year can put unnecessary pressure on our shoulders.

A couple of years ago my family and I decided to spend Thanksgiving together in a cozy cabin hidden deep within the beautiful Smokey Mountains of Tennessee. I was determined to have the best Turkey Day ever. The plan was to be on the road by 8:15 a.m., but as these things usually go, we’re generally running behind. In an attempt to ensure we left on time, I decided to go fill the car up with gas while the family finished getting ready. Besides being a planner, I am also a bit frugal; I buy gas gift cards from the grocery store so that I can save a few cents on each gallon of gas, so of course, I bought one—in advance—for our trip. 

When I got to the gas station, I realized I’d placed the new gas card next to the old gas cards in my purse. I had three identical cards and no way to tell which was which. I would have to pick one and hope the one I chose was right—or that it at least had enough on it to fill up the tank. 

The first card had only a couple of dollars on it. 

The second card had even less on it!

I swiped the third and final card, and to my not-so-pleasant-surprise, the tiny screen told me to come and see the cashier—it wouldn’t allow me to finish filling up the car. I tried swiping it again and again only to get the same message. Irritated by the situation, I hastily tossed the old cards in the trash, plopped in the car, and went back home to pack the car and retrieve my family. 

In all my efforts to fill the tank, I had only managed to put about a gallon of gas in the car. So once again, with the entire family piled up in the car, I stopped at a different gas station to fill up the tank. I reached in my purse for the gift card, but it wasn’t where it should have been. Where could it be I wondered?

Together, my husband and I searched the car from top to bottom. We found bits of paper and an old French fry, but no gift card. 

What could have happened to it? It suddenly became clear what had happened. My heart jolted and panic surged within me as I realized what I had done. In my frustration, I had accidentally thrown away the new card along with the old cards when I tossed them in the trash. 

My careful planning was supposed to help us save money, not lose it. I desperately wanted to fix things. I could go back to look for it, but there was no guarantee the card would still be there. Because we were already behind schedule, we decided it was best to get on the road and deal with it later. 

The ride to the cabin felt painfully long. I couldn’t keep myself from thinking about my careless blunder. How could I have made such a mistake?

My husband, knowing that I was silently beating myself up over this, lovingly looked over at me and told me not to stress about it, everything would be fine. I desperately wished it were that simple, but disappointment was already creeping in, threatening to consume me. This trip was supposed to be an enjoyable time with my family, but I feared my regretful disposition would ruin our vacation. 

Just as I was about to lose all hope of having an enjoyable holiday with my family, I remembered Paul’s encouraging words to the Philippians: 

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Phil. 4:6-8)

Here are three ways Paul encourages us to turn a stressful situation into a peaceful one: 

1.  Surrender Your Worries to God

Praying helps settle our minds and hearts. I didn’t want to spend the holiday stressing over what I had done. I wanted to enjoy the time with the people I loved. So, as Paul urges us to do, I began to pray, and I didn’t stop praying until I felt God’s peace come over me. Praying helped me hand the situation over to God. With his help, my heart was made right, and I was able to let go of what happened.

2.  Remember to be Thankful

Stressful situations have a way of consuming our thoughts, causing us to forget what matters. I believe this is why Paul reminds us to go to God with thanksgiving; remembering all that’s good in our lives will help us cultivate a thankful heart and lead us back to a place of peace and joy. We would do well to remember that even in the midst of disappointment, there is much to be thankful for—all we have to do is make a conscious effort to look for it.  

3.  Change Your Mindset

I couldn’t change what I had done, but I could choose how I reacted to it. Pauls’ words remind me that a positive mind produces a positive attitude. Allowing my mistake to consume my thoughts and rule my heart would make the trip bothersome and gloomy. However, if I went to God and asked him to help me rid myself of my unpraiseworthy thoughts, then I would be able to enjoy the holiday with my family. 

The truth is there will always be something that threatens to steal our joy. It’s up to us how we handle it. We may not be able to control the things that happen to us during the holidays, but we can choose how we react to them. 

If you find yourself in a nerve-wracking situation during the holiday season, remember Paul’s words and go to God with a thankful heart. Ask Him to replace your aggravation and stress with a heart that’s filled with joy. Place your situation in God’s hands, and trust that He’ll guide you to a place of peace. With your heart and mind peacefully renewed, then you’ll be able to enjoy the time you spend with your loved ones and have a stress-free holiday season.

~ By Kelly Basham. Kelly is a writer who is passionate about pointing others to God's word for all of life's obstacles. She believes that God's word is filled with the nourishing truth and wisdom we need to help us bud forth and bloom. You can find more of Kelly's works on her blog Blossom in Faith.