Hey there Friend!  Go ahead and take a deep breath. Now exhale.  The holidays are fully on, but I’ve got a simple holiday survival guide to help you through.

 

The holidays are no joke, that’s for sure.  There is a certain intensity that presses in from all sides that can create a sense of overwhelm faster than you can say Christmas!  I’m still struggling with turkey coma over here; all the while my husband is outside stringing Christmas lights over the fence and shrubs.

 

(Deep Sigh)

 

This time of year has become bitter/sweet for me.  I loved Christmas as a kid—who doesn’t, right?  As an adult it has become much more complicated.  Don’t get me wrong, I still love the holiday, but I prefer a much more contemplative approach.

 

You see my husband and I Pastor a church so holidays look a little different from some households.  Leading a community into the presence of God is not a simple thing and so adding in all the secular components and family traditions to boot can really take it out of ya.

In addition to all this, my family navigates this season with a constant companion called, Grief.

 

Yep—bitter and sweet.

 

I know I’m not alone, because I see it on the faces of people all around me.  Many are worn out and the season has just begun, but I’m praying for something different this year; something more.  Here is my holiday survival guide to help you navigate the season.

 

Keeping it simple

 

There are many ideas designed to enhance your holiday experience, but I have come to settle in a place of “less is more.”  I have found, at least for me, that holiday survival hinges on the value of simplicity.

 

Listen, I’m not knocking tradition (Sacred or Secular), I’m suggesting that you learn to re-evaluate what is most important  so you don’t miss the whole point.  You can observe the holiday with rich tradition without getting caught in a frenzy of Christmas palooza.

 

When my kids were little I would watch television shows that taught about entertaining and crafting while they napped.  I was always captivated by the clever ideas.  So while I was home with preschoolers I’d work at Christmas projects while they slept—and it was fun.

 

Eventually I went back to work and time became a hot commodity.  I tried for years to keep up the pace, but eventually came to the conclusion you can only do so much.

 

I began to evaluate what was most important to me and realized that while traditions are a beautiful thing, but they can quickly become an idol if you aren’t careful.  Christmas is the time of year we remember and celebrate the birth of our Savior.  When I keep my eyes focused on the purpose of this holiday it actually becomes easier to eliminate extra busyness.

 

I know, easier said than done, right?  What helped a lot was reading about the history of some of the traditions we have.  Understanding the “why” of what we do made it easier for me work it through.  There are some traditions that I completely let go, because they just didn’t lead me to a place of worship. So start there and ask Holy Spirit to lead the way—he is faithful and likes to do that for us!

 

 

 

 

Create a plan

 

Life has a way of taking over if you let it, so holiday survival requires a plan. Decide what you are going to do and then work out the best way to do it.

 

I love to decorate for the holiday and I love to do it with my family.  When the kids were little this was easier to do, because they were around.  In this season, we’ve got one away at College and the other is a high-school senior, who works some evenings.  Looking ahead at the schedule and planning a time that works for everyone can be challenging, but blocking the time helps make it happen.

 

Through my evaluation process, I discovered that the Christmas tree helps me focus on Jesus. The quiet lights shinning in the early morning remind my soul that God is present and the tree is a visible reminder of what Jesus did on the Cross.  So, the tree needs to go up at the very beginning of December—or a little earlier if that works into the schedule best.

 

There are projects I want to try, because I think they will be fun and for me the act of creating is an offering of worship.  I’d love to make a gingerbread house from scratch, create ice luminaries, and make my own pine boughs to hang on the front fence, but I still have responsibilities to work around. I will have to schedule for it or busy life stuff will consume the time.

 

Don’t be rigid; be flexible.  The plan isn’t the goal, it’s just a tool to help you enter in, so don’t get hung up on that. My plan is loose, never written down and fluid as I continually evaluate my heart, because worship is always my objective.

 

 

 

 

Be intentional and present

 

As you consider holiday survival remind your soul to be intentional and present with the LORD, all the way through. I suspect this will require a purposeful shift, because it is easy to just go through the motions—especially with all the extra stuff of Christmas.

 

Can I tell you something?  When you commit to being intentional and present with the LORD, your activity, your words, and even your thoughts will come into proper alignment.  This is about fixing your heart and eyes on Him.

 

There is this amazing thing that happens only in the presence of God; it’s the impartation of love, which he lavishly gives.  Press in, receive his abundance, and be amazed as transformation begins to happen.  That kind of thing has a way of seeping out and that’s what you want—love birthed out of faith.

 

The second thing that happens from the presence of God is the ability to see things through his lens.  Be intentionally present as you walk through the darkness, because you carry the light.

 

“Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see.  For the glory of the LORD rises to shine on you.  Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth, but the glory of the LORD rises and appears over you.”  Isaiah 60:1-2

 

You are a vessel of grace in the dark places; you carry light and truth.  The holiday comes, but circumstances don’t change to accommodate celebration.  Honor Jesus this year as you walk among the sick, the broken-hearted, and the oppressed, as an ambassador of the LORD carrying his glory.

 

 

 

 

Practice generosity

 

I have found that the secular holiday spirit can overwhelm the soul.  Greed has a way of demanding, which is a real turn-off.  I added this idea of practicing generosity to my holiday survival guide, because I needed the reminder that I am his steward.  The LORD lavishly gives to his children, always with the expectation that we will share.

 

So, let me be clear, I’m not talking about lavish gifts and material goods; I’m talking about your heart. Generosity begins with humility and gratitude.  Be generous with your heart and with grace.

 

Generosity isn’t afraid of unplanned entertaining and unscheduled encounters, because it makes provision for it ahead of time. Yep, that’s a crazy thought, because you can’t really plan for the unplanned, but you can prepare you heart for the possibility.

 

Real generosity doesn’t require riches, because it is humble surrender; it is an offering of worship.  Think about it.  Even when you buy a gift you have to lay down pride and surrender the cost.  The gift is not the thing; it’s the journey and that counts for more than you know.

 

I believe that the process of simplicity, creating a plan, and commitment to being intentional and present with the LORD, facilitates the capacity to practice generosity.  When I remember that all I am and all I have comes from the LORD, that He is my portion, and I have access to all that he is, generosity gets easier.   Practice generosity with gladness and watch what happens to your heart.

 

 

 

 

Be honest

 

I mentioned earlier that circumstances don’t change in order to accommodate the holidays, which makes honesty a really important component in my holiday survival guide.  We all long for authenticity, but that’s not always easy to accomplish, because sometimes honesty is hard to hear.

 

You need to begin before the throne with the LORD.  Be honest with yourself, admitting what you feel, and lay it out before him.  God can handle your disappointment and confusion, so don’t be afraid to voice it in his presence.  Let him minister to you like only he can do.

 

When you walk in honesty owning what you feel, it becomes easier to determine how you will engage during the holiday.  The last four years have felt heavy for me, because I grieve for my father.  I rely on the LORD a lot to navigate the emotional extremes I encounter.

 

Maybe you haven’t ever had to deal with painful things during the holidays, but you definitely walk among the wounded.  Being honest takes courage, but so does hearing the honest heart.  If you long for authenticity then be a good curator of it.

 

Listen with a generous heart and release grace.  Let go of entitlement in all its forms and receive when someone generously gives a piece of their heart—no matter how broken it may be.

 

Honesty before the LORD, exposes the dark places of the soul—the places of expectation and desire.  While God can handle your honesty, he will also challenge it in order for you to grow.  Don’t be afraid to follow where he leads, because it is always for your good.

 

 

 

 

Appropriate Honor

 

I talked a little about this right off the top, because the whole purpose of this holiday is to worship the LORD.  Appropriating honor is essential in my holiday survival guide because this is the foundation of the whole thing.

 

We are inundated with a myriad of ideas and values that need to be clarified.  Here’s the deal, for a Christ-follower, Christmas is all about honoring the LORD—period.  There are many ways we can do that, but the bottom line is the Jesus is worthy of all honor.

 

One of my frustrations comes from the sentiment that Christmas is all about family.  Careful, with that, because when you don’t appropriate honor in its right place you will slip into idolatry.  Family is a gift and it is delightful to celebrate among your people, but they are not the point, Jesus is.

 

What is your foundation for this holiday?  When you really think about it, what drives you through the season?  Look at your traditions and ask yourself who is at the center of them all.  I’m not bashing your tradition; I’m just challenging you to re-position them according to the throne.

 

I have been doing this for years, so I’m preaching to myself too.  Jesus has to be the center, so every tradition and practice needs to point back to him.  If I exalt my family and their practices over Jesus, I will miss the point.  This is hard work, but you need to know that worship is always costly.

 

 

 

 

Guard your rhythms

 

The final tip I have for my holiday survival guide is to guard your rhythms.  Every one of us has a different rhythm, so you are the only one who can truly determine what this will look like.  You need to make sure that your tank is full so make a plan for it.

 

It has taken me a long time to understand who I am and how God designed me.  Knowing my personality and gift mix better has helped me to honestly accept what my rhythm is.  The same is true for you.

 

You cannot do it all.  I promise you, you can’t, so go ahead and let go of that unrealistic expectation. When you follow the rhythm with your eyes fixed on Jesus, that becomes the framework for the rest—and really, this is true all the time.

 

 

 

 

Make time for rest, both physical and emotional.   Spend time in worship.  Eat right and stay active, because both of those are important to wellness.  If you run yourself ragged you will end up sick, physically or emotionally, so pace yourself for the long hull.  This is a fully packed season.

I pray that as you pursue Jesus in this holiday season, that you find much joy and peace, regardless of what is going on around you.  Be blessed and enjoy!