Merry Christmas
posted in General |With Christmas just a week away, I hope everyone is healthy and enjoying this wonderful season.
I love driving around and looking at all the Christmas lights and decorations. I love trying to find the “perfect” gift for someone, something simple, yet treasured. I love wrapping and placing those gifts under the tree. And I love spending time with friends and family.
But the reality of the season is that it can be hectic and stressful. Hectic as we go from event to event, party to party, and home to home. And stressful as we try to fit too many things into our schedules, shop for the best deals and promise ourselves we will not overspend again this year.
I encourage you to slow down and enjoy the season by taking a deep breath and relaxing a bit. Reduce your expectations of yourself. What is the worst thing that will happen if you don’t get all your decorations out this year? Will you still be able to enjoy family and friends? Yes. Will Christmas truly be ruined if you don’t bake that 14th batch of cookies? I highly doubt it. Give yourself some grace and let go of the non-essentials – you’ll be surprised at how many non-essentials there are.
While you are giving grace to yourself, give it to others too. For some people the holidays are difficult. They are reminded of absent loved ones and their loneliness seems to be hiding around every corner. For many, the hustle and bustle of buying gifts leads to grumpiness and bad attitudes. For others the reuniting with loved ones, although welcomed, brings old wounds and dysfunction to the surface.
So whether you are waiting in line at the mall or sitting with family around the dinner table be flexible and offer blessings to those next to you. Your blessing may be just the kind word that reminds your neighbor of the miracle of Christmas.
Choose a Better Life by celebrating Christ’s coming and remembering to offer grace and blessings to those around you.