Thanksgiving is over. The leftovers are all stored away and now the Christmas rush begins.

Yes, that’s right, Christmas is a short month away and, I don’t know about you, but just saying those words makes me anxious. There is shopping to start, decorating to complete, a meal to plan, and oh yeah, travel – for you or those visiting you. And did I mention the shopping, it needs to be completed a few weeks before Christmas day because it needs to be shipped to faraway places or hidden from wandering eyes, or just bought so at some point there can be a little less pressure to get it all done.

Christmas is such a special occasion but really, I’m beginning to think I need a holiday from this holiday.

I wonder what would happen if I approached this Christmas with a slightly different (ok drastically different) approach. I wonder what it would be like if the shopping never started, the decorating was scaled back, the meal was a potluck (lots of desserts please), and travel was minimized. I wonder if the frantic chaos that surrounds the season is really necessary or if a scaled-down slower-paced celebration would offer anything more than my usual approach lacks. I just wonder!

Please know that I’m not suggesting we all become Mrs. Scrooge. In fact, it’s just the opposite. This Christmas I’m considering taking my time to focus on the importance of the season, family, dear friends, the celebration of our Savior’s birth, and less on the things that will fade as quickly as the ornaments are packed in their boxes and stored away for another year.

I think this will require some intentionality on my part, a concentrated effort, and even some decisions that may not make everyone happy. But I’m hoping it creates a space to breathe and nestle into the comfort the season offers. The peace that Jesus brings.

As you start thinking about Christmas and begin to create your “To Do” list, is there anything you would like to change? Are there any limits you need to define to help you better experience the true meaning of the season? Is there any doing that doesn’t need to be accomplished to allow you to focus more fully on treasured traditions, time walking hand-in-hand with someone special, or gathering at a table, a fire pit, or around a Christmas tree being present and available to those you call family and friends.

I am slowly learning that all the time I spent running to accomplish my holiday tasks was time that, in hindsight, I could have spent loving those around me. What does it matter if my house looks and smells like a Hallmark Christmas card image, if I’m so exhausted that I can’t engage in meaningful, heart-felt, memory-making conversation?  

My hope for you this Christmas is that you look at the patterns of your former holidays and perhaps this year you choose a different type of Christmas. One that will leave you renewed, even energized, and one that offers a lasting impression on the people you love and those who love you.

Be Blessed His BeLOVED,