I could hear her weariness in her short text. 

I tossed and turned all night. I’m so stressed about finding a home and getting settled. I want to put up a tree and buy gifts for the kids, but I’m afraid I’m failing miserably. 

My friend and her children were temporarily living in another’s home. As the anticipated moving day drew nearer, she was anxious, and I sensed anxiety rising up within me as well.

Lord, how do I encourage her?

And right then, I heard God’s quiet voice. What does Psalm 62, verse five say?

I knew. Having committed portions of this particular passage to memory, the words were hidden in my heart, so I answered—Find rest in You alone, God. Our hope—yes, our expectation—should only come from You.

Expectation. Hope. With regard to the holiday hype—the world’s voice particularly loud, vying for attention—this reminder seemed a simple grace. As I pondered this passage, applying it to my friend’s stress over unmet expectations causing unrest, I discovered several timely truths.

First, we can unwrap rest from stress.

Look at both words. See it? Takes a little rearranging perhaps—reevaluating the use of one’s time, one’s resources. Ask the Lord to reveal His expectations for the Christmas season, enabling us to prioritize according to His best, reordering our plans so they align with His will, not necessarily the ways of the world—the urges and temptations to do more. Buy more. Be more.

Because there’s no rest apart from God’s best.

Second, to unwrap rest in the season’s stress, some things may need to be omitted.

Literally speaking, letters don’t merely need rearranging but several dropped to reveal the word rest in stress. Ask the Lord what must be relinquished so that better rest becomes a reality.

Though perhaps contrary to one’s tradition, this might mean omitting plans to travel, choosing instead to stay home rather than accruing added expenses. It may mean omitting pricey presents from the gift list or resisting the expectation to buy costly decorations and groceries. Ask the Lord what He would omit that His presence might be experienced best.

Because the sweetest rest is while snuggled at His breast.

Finally…

The truth that rearranged plans and diminished expectations lead to rest, even in the midst of life’s stress, is nothing new, and it’s not merely for the month of December. 

Take, for example, the Holy Family. Nothing about Jesus’s conception within the womb of an unwed girl met Mary’s expectations. Joseph’s either.

The couple’s plans in the little town of Bethlehem changed unexpectedly when Jesus pressed within Mary. Labor told her it was time, creating panic in the heart of a protective husband and father. 

A smelly barn wasn’t what these new parents expected as Jesus’s birthplace. And a feeding trough Emmanuel’s first bed—God with us welcomed by cows and sheep, a mourning dove’s song His first lullaby?

The humble shepherds on the Judean hillside would have been the least expected to witness the new King’s arrival, and their message of the Messiah undoubtedly made some raise an eyebrow, questioning the accuracy of their account. 

Indeed, little about Jesus’s conception and birth was according to the world’s expectations. Still, He came just as God intended—a Gift of perfect peace and rest to all who intentionally come, pressing in despite the stress of life, to bend low, be still in His presence.

Because the sweetest rest is when we know Emmanuel is God.

May we unwrap rest in the One who was wrapped in swaddling clothes. Indeed, may we rest in Christ alone.

(This first appeared at Penning Pansies.)

Kind Father, help us remember that true rest only comes in Jesus’s presence. Yes, He is the greatest Gift of all. Amen.

*******

For Christmas, I’m offering a giveaway–a copy of my debut novel, Gideon’s Book (Redemption Press, 2025).

Just leave a comment here. Tell me something special you enjoy at Christmas–a favorite tradition, a favorite carol, a favorite food.

Next Wednesday, December 17th, I’ll draw one name from those who participate.

Here’s a brief description of my story–

One Bible. Three lives. A journey of redemption spanning decades.

In this captivating time-split novel, Maureen Miller weaves together the stories of three souls searching for purpose and healing. From the sun-soaked beaches of Myrtle Beach to the quiet streets of Eden, North Carolina, Gideon’s Book traverses both time and place, exploring the transformative power of faith and self-discovery.

2016: As Cassie bravely battles an unfavorable health diagnosis, she faces deep-seated insecurities and doubts about her self-worth. Just when she thinks her life couldn’t get more complicated, an unexpected opportunity arises—a chance to write a memoir for her friend’s parents. But when she uncovers unexpected truths about her own past, she must learn her value isn’t determined by her circumstances or origins.

(A+ Content designed by the lovely Amber Weigand-Buckley)