** Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. ** Psalm 37:5
December is a busy month for most of us. There is shopping to do, meals to plan, decorating our homes and on top of all that we may have work or ministry commitments. Our calendars are full and we wonder how we are going to get it all done, on time, and without losing our minds!
Maybe you are like me and wake up with your mind quickly going over the list of things to get done ….TODAY! Knowing that tomorrow’s list is waiting as well, and the next day and the next….
So, I took some time to pull myself together before I go running all over town to get some things done on my to-do list. Then I thought of some suggestions that might help someone else who is also overwhelmed with another holiday season. Here is my list of to-do’s when we have too many to-do’s to do. 🙂
Embrace it—** Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might…** Ecc 9:10—Head out to do errands with energy. Expect to get your list done today! I know there might be some glitches along the way, but if we start out with the idea that we won’t find everything we need or there will be long lines or we do everything with a cranky attitude, we are doubling the energy it will take to get it all done.
Send up an invitation–** for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. ** Joshua 1:9 Even if we don’t remember to ask the Lord to join us on our errands, He promises He is with us anyway. I think that all the little problems that pop up when we are trying to get something done is the Lord’s way of reminding us to ask for His help and His company.
Don’t sweat the small stuff— ** Be careful for nothing….prayer, thanksgiving, requests…..** Philippians 4:6 If we are putting each item on our list in the Lord’s hands, it will make it easier to deal with all the little frustrations along the way like traffic or empty shelves. Maybe we can’t find a thing on our list, but we have spent the day without getting into a traffic accident or we were able to get our favorite coffee at Starbuck’s. Live for the wins not the losses.
Lower expectations— ** These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. ** John 16:33 The only place where everything comes out perfect is Heaven. Today and tomorrow and the next day, problems are going to happen. God doesn’t allow them to frustrate us, but to remind us that something much, much better is waiting for us on the other side. Not this Christmas or the next one or the next is going to be perfect. Getting bogged down in getting everything just right is only going to make us miserable. Be flexible, creative and remember that the best thing about Christmas is family and the hope that Christ’s birth brought to mankind.
I am heading out now with my own to-do list. Hopefully, I will remember everything I wrote to all of you!!
If you have your own unique way of dealing with Holiday Stress, leave a comment and share it with all of us so we can all survive another December!