The Doldrums of Winter

As we are heading into the holidays, there is a lot on my mind. 

While I love Thanksgiving and Christmas and the thought of a new year, January and February tends to not go so well for me.  It should. One of my kids has a birthday, our co-op is on break for the month, and with the cold and sometimes snowy weather, it’s nice to just be home.  

But.  There’s always a but, isn’t there?  But the days are horribly short.  Darkness hits us by 4:30 pm it seems.  And it’s winter, which means gray dull days. And I find myself slipping into a quagmire of bad moods. Add in children being children, tween/teen attitudes and hormones, and being stuck in the house 24/7 and it can go downhill fast.   And if mama ain’t happy . . .

That’s right, my kids feed off my attitude.  It’s easy to let it steamroll and then no one, especially mama, is a happy camper.  

It happens to us all.  And the past two years have been worse.  We have been subject to a pandemic, social unrest, and, in a lot of families, dealing with the death of loved ones.  It can be overwhelming and exhausting. 

The challenge is to approach our attitude head on and take control.  I admit, it’s difficult.  It takes a lot of work to change my attitude.  And that’s when I have to turn to God.  

During these times, the Psalms are where I head.  David was either on top of the mountain and praising God, or he was, as Anne Shirley so eloquently puts it, “in the depths of despair.”  The comforting fact is that God is with us in that despair.  When math problems are taking on a life of their own, when science experiments are an epic fail, when I’ve yelled at my kids for the umpteenth time, God is there with me.  It’s rather humbling to type that out and think about.  

And once I come down from the frustration and anger, I have to apologize to my kids, confess my sin, and ask God guard my heart and for protection. (See Psalm 141:3-4)

This year, I am determined to not allow myself to be overwhelmed by external factors and to submit my attitude to God.  I am going to rejoice in the Psalms, no matter how I feel.

Does winter seem to get you down?  Are you facing doldrums during the long winter months?  Don’t despair, have hope!

TSHSC is hosting a luncheon to help us battle the doldrums of winter.  This event is for both moms and dads.  Keynote speakers will be Kyle and Brooke Hamlin of Connections Church in Inwood.  Lunch will be provided.  More details soon. 

Tamara

Tamara is a pastor’s wife and homeschooling mom of three great kids.  She never dreamed of homeschooling her kids because she loved her career as a legal secretary, however, a cross-country move from Texas to Maryland/West Virginia changed that. She has homeschooled her kids for the past 7 years.  Prior to that, Tamara’s mother homeschooled the children. Tamara enjoys teaching literature classes for boys at her local co-op, leading worship at her church, and cooking.