As much as I love this time of year, I struggle with feeling overwhelmed. Raise your hand if this is you🙋🏾‍♀️

For all ya’ll that who work in the industry of church ministry, maybe you can identify this feeling. Right after Thanksgiving, it dawns on us that CHRISTMAS TIME IS HERE!!  Annnnd…every Pastor(including me) wants THE MOST AMAZING CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE EVER!🎄🎄 🤦🏾‍♀️🙃

Everyone seems rushed to make all the goodness and light happen during Christmas—this can come at a cost to our physical and emotional balance. If you’re grieving or recovering, the emotions become more tender.

In October, I openly shared my grief recovery process at the Leading and Loving It Retreat in Las Vegas and the importance of having wise and loving people at your table.  I had five friends, one husband, and Jesus during the worst of it. They gave me short reads to help me process the deep emotions, one let me cry, and the others listened and prayed. No judgment. One of my friends gave me mascara whenever I needed it. It’s still the only mascara I use.

There are so many challenging emotions during the Christmas season. I share my *RAIN process I borrowed from a mindfulness expert. Instead of meditating on the situation, I can reign(no pun) my emotions so I can address the source and honestly talk with Jesus.  If you’re someone that struggles in this area, I invite you to let it RAIN:

R – Recognize difficult emotions – what are emotions? Name them honest before God.

A– Allow the emotions to be there(sitting with the sorrow). Grieve those emotions. Please don’t push it away.

I –  Investigate with curiosity and invite Jesus into the emotion.

N– Nurture yourself with love.

I especially love the “N.” I love the image of clothing ourselves in love and compassion.

Nurturing ourselves with love isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity. 

It wasn’t until May 2021–when I encountered the most emotionally challenging season of loss–that I felt how “…deep and wide God’s love is for me…(Ephesians 3:18).  I felt bad for feeling bad. I had very little grace for myself. Don’t be like me. But please learn from me and fill your space with love.

One of the questions I get asked most often is, “how did you walk through grief while serving  in such a public role at your church?” I responded that my healing came from learning to love me, flaws and all, and wholly embracing that God sees Patriece and loves her so much. May you grasp how deep, how long, and how high, God’s love is for you. May you rest in that Love.

Wishing you a merry and bright week.