The Christmas Challenge ~ Don’t Be a Scrooge

The December frenzy

You may have noticed my lack of posting this month.  Just as with everyone else, December gets busy, so to maintain my peace during the holidays, I must carefully manage my time.  Unfortunately, that has meant infrequent blogging.

There is another reason for my lack of posting, though.  I often get disillusioned by what Christmas has become, so the days leading up to Christmas can start feeling like more of a challenge than a delight, for a number of reasons:

shopping, bargains, busyness, parties, wrapping, decorating, mailing, cards, cooking, planning, appointments, commitments, deadlines, to-do lists, activities, expectations, programs, productions, traveling,…….STRESS!

My struggle is in not allowing these reasons steal the simplicity of celebrating Christ’s birth.  Otherwise, I lose my joy and teeter toward apathy toward the season overall. 

I start looking and acting like a Scrooge.  Shocking, I know!

Deep down, I am not a Scrooge, though.  I absolutely love the true purpose of Christmas.  But somewhere along the way, the blessedness of the season has diminished.  My challenge (and I doubt that I am alone) is to avoid the trappings that steal the joy found in the Christ of Christmas.

The secret is in finding every way possible to get off the Christmas-frenzy train and stay in the peace-filled presence of the King who was born in a manger.

I wish that it were easy.  Since I am a Martha, though, it is always a struggle.  The enemy makes sure of that.  Yet there are ways to practice the simple wonder of the Savior’s birth.

In the next few weeks leading up to Christmas, I will share some things I have found beneficial.  I would also love to hear stories from you, of ways you keep the focus on Christ during the holidays.

Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
Luke 2:12

Sue Nash/2013

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