I haven’t finished Christmas shopping.
I haven’t wrapped a single gift.
I feel like my brain has been unfocused and a bit fuzzy during my quiet times with the Lord.
And I don’t feel like we’ve done enough fun Christmas-y activities as a family.
It’s easy for me to feel frustrated and even angry with myself right now. And while I do have high expectations for myself, I’m not even meeting some of the lower, more reasonable expectations I’ve set.
Honestly, I hoped that maybe this year with 2020 being such a different year, that things would be not quite as crazy in the month of December.
But I was wrong. I’ve procrastinated the past few weeks, and I haven’t been as intentional with my time so now my to-do’s are piling up.
Surely I’m not the only one feeling like this right now, right?
The next week and a half I want to be able to have meaningful time with the Lord each day, get all the gifts bought and wrapped, have special times talking about the true meaning of Christmas with my kids, and enjoy time with family.
I don’t want to be stressed, unfocused, and frustrated.
A Simple Encouragement
My encouragement for you if you’re feeling any of these stresses or pressures or the weight of a growing to-do list, is to stop what you’re doing right now and pray with me. That’s it.
So often when we’re rushing around it’s easy to forget to stop and talk with the Lord. We go here and there and everywhere but to the Lord.
So let’s pause for a moment and come to him. Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, let’s spend a minute talking to God right now.
Dear Lord,
I’ve got so many things on my mind right now. I’m trying to get things done, but the list seems never-ending. I want my heart to find its rest and peace in You, Lord. I want to have my mind fixed on You and not on all the craziness around me.
Help me block out all the noise to be able to tune into that silent night.
Help me turn away from all the things that have no eternal significance to focus on that babe lying in a manger.
Help me give You all my stresses and concerns so that I can have full joy because you have brought incredible, everlasting joy to the world.
God, I need You. Thank you for sending Jesus, our Emmanuel. You left Heaven to come to earth as a tiny baby because of your great love for us. You are worthy of all of my praise in the busy seasons and in the slow seasons. Thank you for always being with me and being such a constant friend. I love You.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen
This week, let’s remember to take time to pause and turn our hearts to God. Everything else can wait…yes, even buying and wrapping presents, cooking, cleaning, all the fun activities, everything!
Pressing on in faith,
Jennifer