Off To The Races

Off to the Races

Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the LORD our maker, for he is our God.

Psalm 95:6-7

I don’t know about you, but I generally dread December 1 because, in my mind, it’s the official start of the holiday season. I use the phrase “holiday season” specifically because it embodies all of the obligations and traditions that, when you stop and really think about it, have nothing to do with the sacred birth of our Savior. But nonetheless, all these obligations fall on me.

For example, everyone has a holiday party: the community organizations where my husband and I volunteer, our workplaces, our friends. On top of parties, there are Christmas cards, Christmas cookies, our hunt for a real Christmas tree, our yearly outing to see the Christmas lights at that one house on that one corner that sets one hundred thousand lights to music. These traditions get layered on top of already-busy schedules involving school and sports and work.

All these extra traditions, on their own, are fun and joyous and filled with giggles, messes, and memories. But when they’re all piled up in the short few weeks between December 1 and Christmas morning, I can’t help but start feeling like a bad mom, a bad wife, and a bad Christian for not juggling this month with a cheerful smile, a cute apron, and Pinterest perfection.

In response to all the busyness this season brings, I’ve discovered that when I make a conscious effort to focus more on Advent—preparing my heart and mind for Christ’s birth, and helping my family to do the same—and less on the never-ending to-do lists, I strike a better balance. Finding extra moments to withdraw from the rat race and simply sit in the presence of Christ—worshiping, remembering the significance of Christ’s birth, and kneeling before the Lord—makes me a better mom, wife, and friend during the rest of the busy day. I am better able to handle the tasks of the holiday season with kindness rather than frustration, because my heart and head are focused on Advent.

—Julie

— Today’s Act of Kindness —

Fill yourself up by spending time with Christ during Advent, and allow that fullnes to flow out as kind words and actions toward others.