It was only a Christmas day and my first Christmas, a single mother. Well, I think again, I wasn’t alone. I had a 11 -month -old son with me, but he was not disturbing the conversation. I felt like the darkest day. I remember sleeping the night before. I’m afraid that I woke up to the empty apartment and seemed completely unlikely. Just as no one cared, I felt completely forgotten. I didn’t have the money to buy a Christmas present for my loved ones, and no family spent with my family. There were no warm meals to bake in the oven or laughing in the hall. My sweet baby Raw made a small subsidy provided by the government without knowing the pain of his mother. I cried most of the Christmas day. At the afternoon, I went to a friend’s house for several hours, but eventually I cried alone and finished the day on the sofa. It was not just my only Christmas as a single mother, but it was certainly not my only Christmas feeling.
Lonely, is probably not more common than the holiday season. I was there. Many times. In fact, I’m not a single mother, I have spent a lonely season even when I’m not completely alone. Lonely is emotional. It’s the feeling of being alone, and frankly, we are in a room full of people and still feel quite lonely. So how do you fight it? Before I start a list, tell you this. I fully realize that one of these methods to fight loneliness will not be a mysterious and instant hole in despair and loneliness in itself. But what helps you fight well is the peak of conscious choices to make one after another. There are some things that helped me during the lonely season:
actively. Christmas is coming. Rather than fear of arrival, summarize the list of free low -cost activities in the community where you can participate. Many churches hold holiday concerts, carrings, Christmas plays, and other events to make the holiday season more meaningful. Take the time right now and plan a method to be involved and keep it active. During this period, isolation may be the biggest challenge.
Stop meditation that is not. If you’re like me, you may tend to meditate what you are. If I don’t pay attention, I will spend a lot of time, focusing on what is wrong, what works, and who is not supporting me. In fact, I do not focus on all rights, but stick to all mistakes. There are many good things in our lives. I am very grateful and praise God. We must capture all the thoughts that it completely obeyed the truth of God’s words. We are blessed and very favored. What is good? health? work? friend? family? running water? The roof on your head? Laugh?
Be active. The more you move, the better you feel. Exercise releases the endorphin that creates a positive mood. Sitting lifestyles often mean that they are physically or mentally comfortable. I’m going for a walk. Get an old exercise DVD. See your friends in parks and local gyms. Move your body.
Serve someone else. One of the challenges we have by fighting loneliness is to focus on ourselves. Instead, consider how you can use your time, talent, and skills to serve God by serving others. Can I volunteer in a local soup kitchen or homeless shelter? Can I do a baby sitter for a single parent? Can you visit the elderly who may be lonely? What may change the holiday season of someone else?
Host dinner or lunch. Why wait for invitations from others? Who have you met after a while and enjoy the time to spend together? Provide dinner and lunch at your home for your neighbors, old friends, or fellow parents. Please use games and karaoke nights. Perhaps a Christmas movie marathon is the best way for holidays.
Get some to do list items. I always have a list of things that I have to do for my busy working schedule and children’s activities. Holidays tend to be a time when things are slow. Maybe there are some closets that require cleaning and reorganization. Maybe there is a cleaning you need to do. Maybe it’s time to pass through the garage and kitchen cabinet. This may be the best time to write goals for next year or work on a budget. The points are a lot of things to do, so don’t spend time.
Create a special day with your family. Enjoy your time with a gorgeous closet. For those who have children, many have graduated from school during the holiday season. Create a fun day, including holiday baking, games, Christmas activities, writing cards to men and women, dance parties, songs, games, book reading, exercise, drawing, paintings, etc. Activities are not important. The important thing is to create a day focusing on your family.
Keep your connection with local churches. I am a large supporter of this! If a single parent can keep the connection in a local church, they are well equipped to fight loneliness. Support groups and Sunday school classes use it to gain perspectives. It helps to hear the problems of other people and hear the wisdom from those who are in where we are. Satan’s plan is one of the division of rule strategy. If he isolated us from the church and loved a respectful LY friend, we will start to see that the glass is half empty. No one loves me. I am always alone. How can the church treat me that way? You don’t need God anyway. If we are not careful here and there, we have a negative idea. He would be alone if Satan could steal our joy, kill our hope, and destroy the future plan. We are no longer a threat to him. We are no longer focused on what we can do in the kingdom of God.
Spend time with the Lord and his words. Occasionally, our spiritual life is depleted. We obeyed the world’s demand and did not spend time to develop our soul. It can be a bitter, angry, angry, and injured in us in the sky. Take the time in this holiday season and immerse yourself in the truth of what God is talking about. Take time to read his goodness and faithful. Meditate about Daniel in the lion’s burrow, David in the wilderness, and the desert Israelites Noah. The same god loves and sees you. His existence overflows us.
rest. The busyness of life is often exhausted and exhausted. We work, over -booked, and overrun according to demands. Sometimes it looks like a lonely season is actually a big fatigue season. Probably, the gifts from the Lord of the holiday season are rest, relaxation, and necessary “I” time.
Recognize that you are not alone. God promises that he never leaves you. “Yes, it sounds great, but I want human interaction!” You may be thinking. The Lord created you for the relationship with each other, the relationship between each other, and the relationship with him. But the latter is the most important part of our lives. The development of the relationship with the Lord is our strength, our comfort, and our peace. It is where we can find our joy. Paul wrote in Chapter 7 of the Corinthian, how his bachelor made him serve God better. Certainly, we may be lonely in the season, but we are not alone.
you are not alone. This year, intend to connect with local churches and to be the most important thing to do to do your father’s heart. He loves you.
Jennifer Magio is a life of the three moms, the wife of Jeff, and the founder of the national non -profit organization. She is the author of four books, including churches and single mothers. She was selected as one of the top 10 most influential tops in the United States by Dr. John Maxwell in 2017 and 2015, hundreds, including Family Talk Radio with New York Times, Dr. James Dobson, Joni, and friends. Appeared in the media venue. And many others.
