The Christmas Spirit

With Christmas upon us, most of us, if we haven't already, can't wait to start decorating the tree and playing the Christmas music we love. To put the lights up, and get our nativity sets out to remind us of the real reason for Christmas. Lists are made, what to get for kids, spouse, family members. It's a time of love, traditions and family.
Unless of course you're in my family. This year, my family decided that since I won't allow my children to be around my abusive father, that they would vote me out of Christmas. Because obviously, in protecting myself and my children from any future harm, I'm choosing not to be apart of my family. This being really the one time of year my kids can count on seeing their cousins, is now being taken away from them. Merry Christmas, right?
While trying to not let the bitterness of the injustice overrule my life, I have to remind myself what is really important. Christmas truly is about celebrating the birth of Christ, and my children and I can do that with or without family present. It is about spreading Christ's love, which the boys have chosen to do a gift box for a child through church. And the most important thing of all is my boys. God couldn't have entrusted me with anything more precious, and the more for me if I don't have to share :)
My prayer for myself this Christmas season, is that God can help me overcome the bitterness that is trying to steal my joy and has stolen my joy for too long now. And that He will show me a love that can only come through Him. My prayer for everyone else is that you try to see things not through your eyes, and not necessarily through the eyes of others, though that helps. But that you can see through Christ's eyes, eyes of unconditional love and compassion.
Merry Christmas!