I have been thinking about what supports divine grace during the holidays. What is divine grace? How do we obtain it? How do we sustain it daily when the holidays are over?

Many people associate grace with religion, a gift from God (or Spirit) consisting of love, forgiveness, saving us from sin, and trusting God will deliver what we need. Spiritual grace or divine grace comes from God, but we have no control over how we earn grace, nor do we have to be worthy to receive it.

Grace accepts who we are, as we are, without attachment and judgment. We want to believe we are in control and that God will reward us if we live purposeful lives according to his plans. Divine grace does not work that way; instead, grace teaches us how to let go and trust what we do.  We are the keepers of our destiny, and God guides us to where we want to go. To accept grace is to stay open to receiving and not feel guilty or unworthy.  We are all worthy, as we are part of Spirit in human bodies.

Around the holidays, there is always guilt and shame about what we could have done better or didn’t accomplish. Letting go of “unworthy thoughts” is a mindful practice that might take a lifetime to achieve. It is mind-boggling what we worry about around the holidays – who to invite, who is still talking to whom, menu planning, food preparation, planned activities, and gift-giving without going into debt. How do we schedule enough time without going insane?

There is so much pressure to create joy for everyone during the holidays that it can become a competition. We compare ourselves to the staged and highlighted images we see on social media and television, and we feel tremendous disappointment when we can’t keep up. This actually rejects grace.

As exciting as the holidays are, holidays create stress with more demands and expectations associated with holiday preparations and gatherings.  We can be more joyful if we embrace why we are celebrating. Stop wishing your life could be different. Give yourself grace by knowing you are enough. Instead of worrying about how people will interact or if you have the “right” décor, let go of the television version of the holidays. The most significant joy-killer habits are:

  • Feeling like you are racing for time
  • Procrastination and not following through
  • Judging whether you are doing or giving enough
  • Wishing that the holidays would be like they used to be
  • Sabotaging by not accepting what you do have

Instead of dwelling on the “whatnots,” celebrate your being and uniqueness. Learn to love and care for yourself by scheduling timeouts to avoid burnout. Self-care is grace. Creating a “time out” and managing your expectations are necessary to avoid burnout, and this is giving yourself grace. Here are some things you can DO today to create grace:

  • Pick your priorities
  • Be realistic and mindful about what you can achieve
  • Pace yourself and give yourself plenty of time
  • Don’t overcommit, and don’t yes people out of habit
  • You don’t have to do everything at an award-winning level (very few will notice the changes)
  • Don’t compete with yourself or others
  • Get enough rest

Don’t feel guilty if you can’t get to everything on your list. Guilt is your worse enemy. Guilt will tell you why you aren’t worthy – this is subtracting grace from yourself.  You are exactly where you need to be right now. For the upcoming holidays, recognize who you are and know that you are doing your best. Give yourself the love and care you need with grace.

To your well-being and staying in grace with your family and yourself during the holidays.

helen chin lui Reflexology Healing Medfield MAAbout the Writer, Reflexologist, and Filmmaker

Helen Chin Lui is a Certified Reflexologist, Certified Energy Medicine Practitioner, Reiki Master, and teacher. She is the owner of Healing Place LLC and Healing Place Energy School LLC.

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