The Most Wonderful Time of the Year - Really?

It’s the most wonderful time of the year – but also one of the most stressful. By now I would have had the Christmas gift list done.  I would have Elf on the Shelf moving around every day.  As a family, we would have done all the Christmasy events around town and watched all the Christmas movies in anticipation for Christmas Day.

Instead, the month started with every distraction possible and all the things I had planned and scheduled went out the window.  I was disappointed, but the day I stayed home sick gave me time to spend time with my bible, my journal and a playlist of great music.  I couldn’t go anywhere or do anything on my to do list.  I wasn’t in control of how I felt and the only thing I could do was rest up to feel better.  I prayed and cried out from frustration and feelings of guilt as I tried to do it all once again. I came up short and began feeling bad about it.  I can’t make all the parties, I can’t give gifts to everyone and I can’t accommodate everything and everyone in this month. 

God gave me peace that day.  Honestly, He always has this way of redirecting me back to Him.  I have a bad habit of thinking “Okay, I got it.”  I slowly lean less on God and I get overwhelmed by focusing on the wrong thing instead of the God thing. 

Here we are less than two weeks away from the big day and it is slowly clicking that while we look towards this holiday as a big celebration of events, pictures and gifts that is NOT what makes this time special. 

I have spent my time in the hospital a lot this past week visiting a family member and my heart broke to see how many people are sick right now.  I felt bad for complaining about not doing all my traditions and yet here were families in the hospital not doing it either but for a completely different reason.  I felt like a complete jerk.  Our problems are small when compared to those problems of others. 

So while I didn’t check everything off my list of things to do, go or see, I can be grateful in knowing that God is always in control and when I feel so overwhelmed, He can sustain a peace in me that no one can take away.  He provides me with sweet reminders of His love on a constant basis.  He allows me to be in different situations, not to throw my month of order, but to open my eyes to recognize that there is a checklist He wants me to use that is not my own.

Thank you God for your unfailing love.  Thank you for always intervening in my life when I’m not focused on what is true, noble or right.  Help me to remember that this time isn’t about trying to do it all because I simply can’t.  The goal is to keep you front and center which will bring me joy through every season.  Thank you for giving your only Son to die on the cross for us.  You gave us the best gift that lasts for eternity.  May no one ever forget that. – Amen.