The Calm Before the Chaos

December 1. It’s here. The first day of the last month of the year. The day you realize you haven’t done one bit of Christmas shopping and now Christmas is in a little over 3 weeks. The day you feel like you need to get on the Christmas decorating or it will be too late and you won’t want to fool with it because it’s so much trouble to get everything out. The day you remember you are supposed to start some sort of Advent calendar with your kids but you forgot to buy one so you’re going to be behind. The day you have to get out that wretched Elf and start remembering to move him every night. The day anxiety sets in. Let’s just take a breath, shall we?

How are we going to find rest in December? Between the baking and the decorating and the shopping and the parties and the things we do all month long so our children will have beautiful Norman Rockwell memories of Christmas…I’m getting overwhelmed just thinking about it. And let’s not even start on how social media will attempt to make us feel inadequate all season long. People posting pictures of beautifully decorated trees and perfectly wrapped packages. The posts of cute Christmas cookies that the children “helped” make. Let’s be honest, the only thing they let the kids help with is maybe going to get the ingredients. Then there’s Pinterest Elf. I hate him the most. All of his little adventures every night that will be sure to make it to Facebook and Instagram make me want to go crawl in a hole because it’s the third day in a row that I’ve forgotten to move our Elf. Our Elf’s biggest adventure is making it to a different room.

There’s got to be a way to find more rest this season.

Then I remember the source to all of my rest throughout the year: Time with my Heavenly Father. I’ve decided this month, December, I’m going to make time for rest. Rest for me isn’t going to look like physical rest. No, I’ll be getting up in the wee hours to find it. Something about being up while darkness rules the sky and my house is still quiets my soul. When I go to the Lord before I start thinking about my to-do list I’m able to give Him my most pure thoughts and needs. I’m able to focus in a way I can’t when my family wakes up. I’m able to find rest for my soul. I encourage you to make time for rest this Christmas season. I’m going to get up early but maybe that’s not your thing and you like to stay up late after everyone’s gone to bed. Or maybe you lock yourself in the bathroom while your kids are watching a show. Whenever and wherever doesn’t matter, it just matters that you find the time. Christmas is crazy because we’ve made it into a big production. I’m all for Christmas. I love all the decorations and music and lights but let’s be honest, a baby being born in a barn with smelly animals is about as bare bones as it gets.

Take some time to make much of Jesus.

Reminisce on the hope we have because of what He did for us.

Meditate on His sovereignty and calm in the midst of the storm.

Remember His kindness that draws us in.

Sit under the weight of His love and forgiveness.

Rest.

When will you make time to rest this December?

-Courtney

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