9 Days to Christmas. Wednesday, Dec 16, 2020

“Over-Busy”

Holy Smokes! I haven’t picked up my special Christmas grocery items yet! I can’t have Christmas without my favorite treats! What am I thinking? Oh, that’s right, I’m thinking about staying safe and healthy, keeping a church safe, praying for lots of people, meeting lots of people, trying to learn my way around a new home, preaching four sermons in eight days, writing a daily devotional, walking the dog, trying to keep a real tree alive, plus completing a few other, day-to-day duties.

I’m busy in all kinds of ways, and if I don’t watch out, I’ll Over-Busy myself right past Christmas. (Yes, I’ve done it before. It is possible to accidentally skip Christmas.) But this year, I don’t want the Over-Busy to consume me to the point that I miss Christmas in paradise. I’ve always wanted a Christmas in the tropics, but what am I doing to help make it possible?

Time management and the balancing act of our responsibilities can be difficult, indeed. This time of year consumes leaders of companies, schools, churches, and especially, families. In the process of adding the Holiday responsibilities to our normal duties, getting ourselves lost in the shuffle is easier than we’d like to admit. Unless we slow things down, we’ll wake up on December 26th and discover that we missed the whole experience because we were cooking, preparing, sharing, shopping, shipping, giving, receiving, eating, drinking…Whew! We’ll never find Christmas Peace because we’re so Over-Busy!

This year, it’s time to make a change. Namely, it’s time to slow things down a bit. Starting today, let’s identify 20 minutes each day that we chill, breathe, and experience the miracle of Christmas. Yes! In the midst of a COVID-covered Christmas, let’s let God bring a miracle. Let’s give God a chance to turn Overly-Busy into Overly-Blessed!

“Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10, NIV)