Saturday, December 7, 2024
“Adventures in Christmastime”
A couple of days ago, I made a trip into town during the middle of the day. As I departed the office, I was in a good mood. After spending a couple of hours in the stores and navigating the traffic, I returned to my office with a poor attitude. Why am I surprised?
It’s Christmastime. This is not the time of the year to venture out without a specific purpose and lots of patience. Certain things like grocery shopping and visits to the post office will take more time. The checkout lines in stores will be longer and restaurants will be doing everything they can to get people in the doors.
I already know these things. Yet despite my knowledge of today’s tasks and the others that arrive in the days ahead, I still seem to struggle with keeping my high-spirited Christmas anxiety in check. I can do better. I can do much better. How? By preparing my heart and mind ahead of time.
I can ask God for some extra patience. Since I’m already aware of a few of my hot buttons, like drivers who drive below the speed limit, I can ask God to help me with that issue as well. God doesn’t mind if I get specific with my prayers. In fact, I think God would welcome me to bring some of the “Not Good” things that surface in my heart and mind.
Yes, Christmastime is busy. But the busy doesn’t need to overwhelm me. God doesn’t bring Christmas to irritate you or me or to test our stamina in the grocery store. Instead, God brings us Christmas to bring peace into a world that can seem to be careless, chaotic, and even cruel.
It’s Christmastime! Bring the “Not Good” to God and make today a Great Day!
“The LORD said to me, “My grace is enough for you, because power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9a, CEB)