It is hard this time of year to stay focused on what really counts. The busy, rushed, decorating, gift buying, and baking seems to fill up the time and another day has gone by. We received a Christmas from our Bishop and church leaders (as everyone did in our congregation) just the other day, and it really helped me see that I need to slow down and enjoy the blessings and intangible gifts that my family and I have.
I'd like to share the letter with you. Please forgive me for the lack of creativity on my part. My mind is still too crazy to come up with my own thoughts so I have to steal from others. This is worth the read for everyone...
"The Journey to Christmas"
The month of December is a time of joyful anticipation. The sights, sounds, and smells of the season evoke feelings of excitement and wonder. For generations, children - and grown-ups- have used advent calendars and paper chains to count down the days. But does our focus ever become so fixed on the future that we forget to enjoy the journey to Christmas?
This year, instead of just looking forward, let's also take pleasure in the preparations: in the little, less spectacular moments along the way, even in the spontaneous joys that may, at first, seam like interruptions to our bigger plans. In order to recognize those moments for what they could be, it sometimes helps to slow things down a bit. We may need to shop less and savor more. We mights have to dim the bright lights in order to see the stars in the heavens, but if we look, we will find them.
Often it takes a child to redirect our focus. Think of how much children enjoy the present moments, the preparations, and not just the finished products. When helping to decorate the home, wrap presents, or bake Christmas treats, they usually make more of a mess than we would; they might not do it just right, but they als usually enjoy the moment more than we do! Their enthusiam can be contagious.
A three year old girl, wholeheartedly living in the present, exclaimed: "It's not tomorrow! It's not today! It's "to-now!" When was the last time [we] felt "to-now"?
Yes, we are busy. But the days leading to Christmas are not just to be endured. In fact, perhaps they offer more of what the season is really about. The promise of Christmas is everywhere to behold. It's not saved for Christmas morning. If we have eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to open, we truly can enjoy the journey to Christmas.
