Tick tock. The holiday countdown is on!
In case you haven’t looked at a calendar lately, we have 14 days to get everything done before Christmas Eve: Buying and wrapping gifts, sending cards, shopping for groceries, attending holiday concerts, baking cookies, taking the kids or grandkids to see Santa, making travel plans, going to see the lights, deciding who’s going to make Mam-Ma’s special applesauce cake, and more.
Whew! No wonder it’s easy to get stressed out this time of year.
A church sister of mine recently shared the following bullet points on her social media account, and I found it both humbling and encouraging. (My thoughts follow the bullets.)
- Buy presents > Be present. As a generation of multi-taskers, we sometimes are guilty of doing other things like checking our phones when we really should be actively listening and engaging with the person in front of us. Give that person your full attention. Make eye contact. Listen to understand, not respond. Being present is a gift we can give others every day.
- Wrap gifts > Wrap someone in a hug. Now that we seem to be coming out of the pandemic, this is so critical. I’m a hugger, and the pandemic was very stressful on me because I couldn’t envelope my loved ones in a hug. We all crave human contact, no matter our age, and hugging can reduce our stress and show our love to others at the same time. It’s a win-win. (Just be sure to ask if it’s okay to hug someone; they may have lingering fears about the pandemic or they may not be a hugger themselves. It’s simply the polite thing to do. Air hugs are fun, too!)
- Send gifts > Send your love. Instead of rushing about trying to buy, wrap and mail presents to out-of-town loved ones, why not host a Zoom call? Schedule a date, choose a fun holiday background, put on some Christmas music, play virtual games, and connect “face-to-face” for an hour or so. This is so much better than buying something for others you don’t see regularly.
- Shop for food > Donate food. It’s a sad statistic that one in six children in the United States lives in a food-insecure household. That means they don’t have assurances that there will be food on the table every day and in enough quantity to adequately nourish them. Check your local food bank or log on to www.feedthechildren.org to learn how you can donate.
- Make cookies > Make memories. While it’s fun to spend a day in the kitchen making homemade gingerbread cookies or elaborately decorated sugar cookies while blasting Christmas music, it can be stressful. (If this is your go-to thing during the holidays, please don’t let me discourage you.) Instead of digging out the tabletop mixer, rolling pin and enough ingredients to stock a small grocery store, why not plan a day designed to make memories? Grab your loved ones and spend time in nature, whether that’s a hiking trail, a snow-covered mountain, a beach, or simply your own backyard. Play the time-honored game of “I Spy” or put together a fun, scavenger hunt for things found in nature. Drink hot chocolate and make some memories!
- See the lights > Be the light. My family and I love to drive downtown here in San Antonio to stroll along the Riverwalk and see the colorful lights draped all along the river. We usually grab a coffee to go and take in the sights of river barges, filled with tourists and a boat guide wearing an elf hat, which meander along the river while a nearby children’s choir sings carols. Spirits are bright and holiday hearts are aglow. This feeling should be present in the hearts of Christians every day of the year. After all, the Bible teaches us to be the light in a lost world. Don’t be afraid to shine.
Matthew 5:14 (NIV)
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.”
John 8:12 (NIV)
“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”
Luke 8:16 (NASB)
“Now no one after lighting a lamp covers it over with a container or puts it under a bed; but he puts it on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see the light.”
Ephesians 5:8 (NASB)
“For you were formerly darkness, but now you are the Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light.”
I Peter 2:9 (NASB)
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
Be encouraged.