Let the Holidays BeWritten by Lynn Cutts
Ah, holidays. That sleepless time of year. That season when we become so frantic and panicked and worried about everything we've got to do that we forget to enjoy process. That season of giving. And shopping and wrapping and shipping. And decorating, cooking and cleaning. Meanwhile, challenges of everyday life continue.Every year, no matter how much I vow to not get caught up in usual holiday frenzy, I find myself baking cookies I won't eat (that perpetual diet, you know), buying decorations I may not even display (and if I do, it will only be for this one year), and buying gifts I may not give (in case an unexpected Gift Giving Opportunity arises.) I get so involved in doing, doing, doing that I often forget to just be. And more importantly, to let my family just be. After all, if I'm turning into a grouch because I'm cutting back on my sleep, making everyone miserable because I'm too busy to participate in my favorite rituals, and overspending all my husband's hard earned money (as well as my own!), then by Paul, George, John and Ringo, I'd better be appreciated for it! I think I've figured part of it out. It's "Last Chance to Shop for Christmas" messages that start as early as Halloween. I'm not exaggerating. I was receiving catalogs and advertisements reminding me that "There's still time to order by Christmas" as early as mid-November. Gosh, I hope so! The only people who are finished with their Christmas shopping more than two days before big date (my mother comes to mind) are those who are a) incredibly efficient and organized, b) don't wait for Christmas lists to come in from others but buy first thing they see, c) have nothing else going on in their lives, or d) all of above.
| | There’s Gotta Be An Easier WayWritten by Staci Stallings
Have you ever had a dream that was so close you could nearly reach out and touch it? And yet every time you put your hand out, it turns out to be a mirage. You work and work. You put your all into making dream come to fruition, but when you get to place where you think you want to be, all you find is more work to do.I see it with two college students who work for me and are always hanging out at my house. It seems like they work and work, and yet graduation feels no closer. I see it in my carpenter husband. He stresses out when a job is finishing up because “what are we going to do next?” But he also stresses out when job is going because “how are we going to get this all done?” Now I see it in my own life. I set up meetings to talk with people about my books. The meetings always go well—some even go really well. But then, sales don’t come through like I thought they would (read: hoped they would). It’s not that God’s not on my side. I know for a fact He is because I’ve seen His hand at work in too many areas of my life to doubt it. Yet I’m still left wondering, why does it have to be this hard? In thinking about this phenomenon, I suddenly realized that this very feeling is encapsulated in scene at Gethsemane. Christ is kneeling, praying, and He says, “Father, if it’s possible, let this cup pass Me by…” What He’s really saying is, “God, listen, please, there’s got to be an easier way.” He knows what is coming. He knows to bottom of His soul this is not going to be fun. In fact, I think He’s not even totally sure He can pull it off.
|
