The Advent season in some ways can be like childbirth or moving. We never remember the details of the pain or stress surrounding the event and our mind has a way of flooding our memories with feelings of love, warmth and positive remembrances!
This comparison might sound strange to those who don’t experience stress during the holiday season. (Raise your hand if this is you, because I need you to be my life coach!) Don’t get me wrong, Christmas is my favorite time of year. I typically start the season in a spirit of anticipation, love, and gratitude. Inevitably, as we draw closer to Christmas Eve, I become bound up by unrealistic expectations about finding the perfect gifts, baking the most beautiful and delicious treats, finding the perfect party outfit, making my house and decorations Pinterest worthy, and don’t forget showing up to EVERY event for fear of missing out! It’s not that I feel obligated to do these things each year, they actually bring me so much joy! It is when I get in a spirit of “pleasing or impressing others” that I spiral out of balance.
In late October this year, in anticipation of my favorite time of the year, I started praying about this, asking God to help me lay down the burden that I always seem to pick up well into the Christmas season. I’m committed to slowing down and seeking times of quiet, being more mindful, and allowing Colossians 3:23 to be my mantra: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” I know there will be great temptation to fall into my old ways and I’ll likely slip and fall along the way, but this year I’m determined to be in the moment and mindful of the gift of Christmas, the birth of our precious Jesus Christ and Savior.
Erica Bollinger, Social Media and Marketing
