Christmas Busyness

Obviously the Christmas season is upon us, and with it comes some changes in our daily lives.  Mainly it seems that our busyness meter gets maxed.  We still have our regular lives to accomplish; work, family, church, etc.  Yet we add on top of it all many special events and parties and extra shopping and family traditions and…  Busyness is already at epidemic levels in our society and the holidays seem to add insult to injury.

A few days ago I blurted out a statement that I hadn’t really thought of yet:

“Isn’t it ironic that a holiday is supposed to be a chance to stop and reflect and remember, yet for most of us it just makes us busier?”

I have thought about what I said a lot more after I said it than before (this is one of my major faults I am coming to realize…).  I am not against Christmas parties and family gatherings, I enjoy them all a lot.  Yet I do realize that during the holiday season we are basically forced to do things we should be doing on a regular basis and don’t.

• I should shower those closest to me (like my volunteer youth staff) with praise and support and gifts.
• I should get together with friends and co-workers and family for no other reason than to have a good time.
• I should send notes and cards to most everyone I know.
• I should focus on the incredible gift I enjoy every day of a savior sent to earth for the specific purpose of dying on a cross so I can know God in a personal way.

I love the holiday season and all that comes with it, and I hope you do too.  As you we both navigate through the next several weeks attending parties, traveling, shopping, and eating ourselves into oblivion I hope that it is all truly a blessing.  And please don’t forget to take some extra time off and enjoy the holiday for what it was meant to be.  Turn your phone off, leave the email box un-opened, push the pause button on your blog or other projects and enjoy the holiday.

But once January 2nd comes perhaps we should not just go back to “normal”, but still celebrate the life we have on a more regular basis.

Merry Christmas!