Christmas Calm
That sounds like an oxymoron to many of us, especially the women, I would bet. Christmas chaos is how most of us tend to feel right about this time, and we are ready for it to be over. It is very sad to me that Christmas is something to get past for so many of us.
What makes it so chaotic? It comes to mind that we pack an awful lot into this time of year. Off the top of my head there are the BIG holidays, football playoffs, deer hunting season, end of the college semester and exams, end of the tax year and taxable inventory time, end of the medical insurance deductible year, height of flu season, the beginning of winter with potential for extreme weather… are there more? I feel certain there are more. Thankfully we have the election over and done before most of the above starts.
In my family, the wildlife biologists have just ended their most intense period of the year and come home exhausted. This year is very special because we are waiting for the birth of my son’s first child. She was due last week, but we all know that babies care not about those due dates. She will have the third Christmas-season birthday in our family, too.
I have, over most of my adult life, pushed to simplify Christmas in my family. I continue this push because the rest of the world certainly seems bent on shoving in the chaotic direction. There are two aspects to my push, first to keep in mind that the real celebration is for the birth of Jesus, and second to think of Christmas as a season rather than as one or maybe two days. Around here, Christmas starts mid-December and kind of tapers off after epiphany, January sixth. That seems to lessen much of the pressure somehow.
One of my favorite Bible verses is Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.”
Winter, with its long nights and short days, is the perfect time for being still in body and mind and giving God more room to work in my life. Another favorite is Philippians 4:6-7. Of course that “peace that surpasses all understanding” is available to us 24/7/365, but I find myself settling down and spending much more time taking things to God in prayer this time of the year. I have read that Jesus was likely born in September, but we have the Emperor Constantine to thank for designating December 25 as the date that we observe Jesus’ birthday. I think that is a good choice, as it closely follows the winter solstice and makes for a good signal to enter a season of calm and quiet, reflection and prayer.
If you are the opposite of me and LOVE the excitement of the holiday season, you may find yourself feeling sad in the next week as your special time of year draws to a close. I hope you will consider thinking of these upcoming months as a time to rest, recharge, and draw near to God and truly bask in his love, comfort, and peace. It is there for the taking.