December 26: Treasuring It in Your Heart

The wrapping paper is in the trash. The house is quiet. What do you do with the day after?

Christmas Day is loud. Then it’s over, all at once. For some people, the day after feels like relief. For others, it brings a strange emptiness. All that buildup, and now it’s gone. Leftovers in the fridge. Decorations that suddenly look tired. Back to work soon.

That empty feeling can be a vulnerable spot in recovery. The excitement is gone and the old brain looks for something to fill the gap. Be aware of that today. Keep your routine. Get to a meeting. Call someone.

But there’s another way to see the quiet. Luke tells us that after the shepherds came and went, after all the wonder and amazement, Mary kept all these sayings and pondered them in her heart. She didn’t rush on to the next thing. She took it in. She turned it over. She treasured it.

That’s a good practice for today. Before you rush on, take some time to ponder. What happened this Christmas? Where did you see God? What went well? What was hard? Who did you get to spend time with? What did you notice that you would have missed if you’d been drinking?

Write some of it down. Treasure it. Memories of a sober Christmas are worth keeping. Next year, when the season comes around again, you can read back and remember what God did.

Pondering also connects Step Twelve with Step Eleven. Prayer and meditation feed service. You can’t keep giving without stopping to receive. Mary’s quiet reflection after the rush is a model for every helper. After a full season of serving, rest and remember.

And if Christmas didn’t go the way you hoped, ponder that too. Bring it to God honestly. He can handle the disappointment. He can hold the parts that hurt. And He’s already at work in whatever comes next.

One thing today

Spend fifteen quiet minutes today writing down three things you want to remember about this Christmas. Thank God for each one.

A prayer

Lord, the rush is over. Help me slow down like Mary and treasure what You did. Thank You for every good moment. Hold the hard ones too. Keep me steady in the quiet. Amen.

Reflection and service go together in Step Twelve.

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