The “holiday vortex” is upon us. Projects, parties, decorating, shopping,
eating, travel, concerts, worship and more worship are filling the calendar for
the next few weeks. It’s insane, really,
how we pile so much into so little time, as if this is the only opportunity to
be in community with family, friends and faith communities. Sure, invitations happen year round, but the
frequency of this time of the year is head-spinning. Trying to determine what to do, when and with
whom, hoping to find a reasonable balance, not disappointing anyone when limits
must be made, but mostly, not disappointing ourselves as we realize that we
cannot do it all, be everything and remain healthy in body, mind and spirit, is
hard!
In what ways to we take care of our ‘selves’ when we want to
do it all and cannot make it all happen?
Is it okay to spend quiet time, even when the to-do list seems never
ending? Is it okay to say “no” to an
invitation to be able to do our own decorating, letter and card writing,
shopping and wrapping? Of course it
is. Now, to make it all happen.
I hear of so many different ideas regarding decorating for
Christmas. The most recent one that
captured my attention is the couple who put up their trees and string them with
lights on the weekend of the Third Sunday in Advent (that was this weekend),
but do not put the decorations on the tree until the Fourth Sunday in
Advent. In this tradition I see a couple
things. One is the bringing of light
into our homes on the longest week of darkness in the year. Another is that preparation can happen in
steps, just like the daily changes on an Advent calendar. The opportunity to bring greens into the home
is the welcome of fresh life, a preparation for the new life we will experience
again in our celebration of the birth of Jesus.
We transition from darkness to light, from the end of a Christian
liturgical year into the advent of the new year, as well as the transition from
one calendar year to the next. In our “bleak
midwinter” (admitting that ‘winter’ really doesn't begin until the solstice on
the 21st) we decorate with color and light, pushing the darkness out
in stages.
Decorating in stages just may make it easier to insert into
the busy-ness of the season. Taking a little
time in fits and starts may mean the boxes of decorations are out and in the
way for a little longer than I may like, but taking time to enjoy the process,
remembering, dreaming, praying, can be an ongoing experience if I allow myself
this kind of time.
Dear God, you give us twenty four hours each day to fill
with so many things. In this particular
time of the year, those things sometimes feel more like burdens than joys. Help us to find a good balance that offers
good attitudes and moments of joyful memory-making rather than a rush to get
yet one more thing done. Mostly, help us
find respite each day to renew our relationship with you and with those closest
to us. Those relationships are the ones
that deserve the best we have to offer.
Amen.