We decorated for Christmas last week on the first anniversary of buying our home. At this time last year, we were packing boxes in one house and frantically hammering down floors and painting walls in another.

Rarely are the holidays as picture perfect as a Hallmark movie. Congested stores, empty wallets, strained relationships, difficult family situations and unmet expectations have a way of crowding out the joy. That is why it is so important, during this third week of Advent, to take time to contemplate.

With all the excitement surrounding Christ’s birth — angels in the sky, shepherds arriving in haste — Luke says that “Mary treasured all these words [spoken of Christ] and pondered them in her heart,” (verse 19).

Mary was young and far from home and family. Having just endured the labor and delivery of her first child, her temporary home was a dwelling for animals. This was nothing like the life she’d imagined. And yet in the middle of her trouble and pain and weariness, this tired mother took time to ponder the goodness of God, the miracle of Christ’s birth, and the astonishing events surrounding his arrival.

Sometimes the only way to rise above difficult circumstances is by asking God to let us see them through his eyes. From the outside, Mary’s situation looked like a disaster. Surely she struggled with the same concerns and fears any new mother would in a similar situation. And yet, rather than focusing on her fears, she quieted her heart and focused on the words and promises of God.

Last winter after we moved, I was sure we’d made a terrible mistake. Our five children were squeezed into two rooms, and our new home seemed hollow and lacking character. Yet, as the months progressed, I discovered many benefits: lower expenses; quiet walks to visit the neighborhood horses; and how much more time our children spend together.

To get to this point, I had to let go of the past and my expectations. Gone was the picture I’d imagined of buying an antique farm on a hilltop. Instead, like Mary, I had to quiet my heart and accept God’s provision while pondering his will in this new season.

While I love sentimental holiday movies, life rarely comes together so perfectly – not for Mary, not for us. Rather than letting seasonal stress or unmet expectations crowd out your joy this Christmas, prioritize quiet time alone to ponder the meaning of Christ’s presence and God’s great love for you. Make a date with just yourself, your Bible and God.

Who knows what benefits you’ll discover.

Meadow Rue Merrill writes and reflects on God’s presence in her everyday life from a little house in the big woods of Mid-coast Maine.

Her memoir, “Redeeming Ruth:

Everything Life Takes, Love

Restores,” releases in May 2017. Find her at www.meadowrue.com