Ever Had a Holiday Not Turn Out Like You Thought?

Hello my Hope-full friend!

My husband just got a positive COVID test, so our Thanksgiving isn’t going to look like I thought this year.

Have you ever had a holiday not turn out how you thought or expected it should?

Maybe a loved one got sick or wasn’t able to visit. Maybe tempers flared among adults or children. Maybe you burned the turkey or dropped the cake.

Sometimes those holidays are a little tricky to navigate because expectations are shattered and the dream in our brain didn’t turn out how we thought it should.

Resources for Holiday Hope Amidst Expectations

  • Rhonda shares the story of Heidi and her Christmas of 1944 with her mom in Berlin where she learned an important lesson about how sometimes things don’t turn out how we think they should. Rhonda Lauritzen: What to Do When Christmas Doesn't Work Out. You can watch it on YouTube here.

  • Tip: Often we feel upset when we meet with unfulfilled expectations. Be sure to share with family or friends what you are hoping or expecting a holiday or event to look like. If things don’t turn out talk it out with a trusted friend or God.

  • Joan was broke and it was almost Christmas. She was blessed with a Christmas miracle in a time of dire need. Enjoy her story here: Joan Raymond: God, Where is My Christmas Miracle? You can watch it on YouTube here.

  • When COVID originally hit and we all had shattered expectations, God reminded me of an interesting parallel between Salmon on their journey home and the Ballard Locks in Washington. Here I tell the story of the Salmon and how it is so applicable to our lives when we have huge changes in life and expectations: How to Navigate the Change with Hope.

Whether life continues smooth or bumpy this Thanksgiving week, I hope you remember that God can help us navigate life in the good times and bad—whether things turn out how we thought they would or especially when things don’t go as expected.

Remember “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God” (Romans 8:28). Sometimes good can come from what we perceive as bad things.

Many years ago as a college student I broke my ankle in the middle of the winter. It was bad and hard and I hated trying to get around on campus on crutches. But guess what? I ended up getting to know my future husband that semester because he was kind to the girl he jokingly nicknamed “Hobbles” (me!) So, although things didn’t turn out how I expected, it all worked out in the end.

And although my Thanksgiving is going to be different this year—I think things will work out okay (although I am already tweaking my expectations).

Hope on and Happy Thanksgiving!

Tamara

Tamara Anderson