Just Breathe...

Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la la la la la.

Christmas shopping in malls that are packed as full as a can of sardines.

Decorating the Christmas tree just so... "No, don't put that ornament there. No not there either. Here let me do it; this is where it goes. Ah, perfection!"

Trying to fit the turkey into the freezer, thinking of the coming glorious meal. All the while your mouth is a'watering.

Baking sugar cookies, chocolate cookies, oatmeal cookies, bread, fruit cake? Phewh! When have we ever eaten this much before?

Frolicking out in the snow. Or at least for those of us who have snow. For those of us who don't... Frolicking out on the dirt. It's lovely too, isn't it?


     Christmas time has rolled around once again. Don't get me wrong... It's my absolute favorite time of the year, but is it just me that's been caught off guard by Christmas this year? All of a sudden it's just here, practically without warning. I mean it's 8 days till Christmas! Say what?!?! When did that happen??

     Well hey, let's dive right in to today's topic. I'm just curious... How much have you breathed the last couple of weeks? Have you been finding your oxygen level getting lower, and your stress and exhaustion levels increasing? If yes, why do you think that might be?

     Could it be you're trying to make Christmas perfect? Could it be you're trying to outdo your neighbors? Or your friends? Or your family? Or even yourself? Don't lie! I sure as heck can't. I've fallen into this subtle trap already this Christmas.

     For me personally, this year I'm having trouble with wanting to outdo myself... I want everything to be bigger and better than it was last Christmas. Especially when it comes to gifts. I'm not satisfied with just giving a little something! But I had to make my Christmas gift budget much smaller this year than it was last year, so what to do then? Yes, we want to be a huge blessing to our family and friends, but that is possible without having to involve money. You are loved, and you love them back. You help each other out with stuff. You're a shoulder for them to cry on, and an extra laugh or smile to brighten their day. Your being there with them on Christmas is a gift in itself. It may not seem significant, but it is. This is something I need to focus on more this Christmas.  

     And every year it's the same story for me. Tree decorating comes along and I become a maniac. I mean everything has to be perfect. I'm embarrassed to say this, but I usually fly off the handle at some point during the evening. If the tree hasn't been decorated to my satisfaction I notice it till the day we take it down. But does it really matter? No, not really. The majority of people won't go stand in front of your tree critiquing the position of the ornaments or the amount of lights. And those that do, well they have some sort of strange problem anyway {ahem}. Yes, the twinkling lights are pretty as they shimmer and glow, but that shouldn't be your only source of happiness. There is something so much more wonderful than that.
   
     There's nothing wrong with wanting to make Christmas meaningful and special. There's nothing wrong with shopping, decorating, baking, or even eating for that matter. But is it really necessary to go so overboard?

This Christmas I want to encourage you to take time to breathe. Please, just breathe...

     Christmas doesn't need to be stressful. Christmas is about peace, and goodwill towards humanity. Not about whose tree looks the nicest, who got the best and most expensive gift, who baked the most cookies, who had turkey and who didn't. Do you get the idea? Christmas time is specifically about caring for those around us, loving them, and lending a helping hand. We have no right to be selfish this Christmas as we see the hurting all around us. Let's act out the peace and goodwill that Jesus came to bring. And you know how we'll succeed in doing this?

Just breathe.

     This Christmas let's stop focusing on perfection and stress. How about we rather shift our focus to the One who loves us so much he sent his only son to save us.

I wish you a very merry Christmas, and many blessings to come!

And remember, just breathe...