This time of year is a time of excitement and exhaustion. The two go together. It is a time of high expectations, many events planned, hopes, and memories. Hopes, expectations, and plans are exciting but can also weigh us down. Memories can anchor us or lead to a narrowing form of nostalgia. Emotional highs for some are times of emotional lows for others. Calendars are packed while days are short. In the midst of the whirlwind of December and January, what energy sustains you? What keeps you going through all of this? For some, the adrenaline of encountering abundance fuels the buildup to Christmas. The flip side of this is post-holiday exhaustion. For others, the demands can be unmanageable. Either way, it can all feel like too much. Both approaches rely on our own energy in engaging this season.
How might our experience this winter change if we were to give up on doing anything ourselves? What might be different if instead we focused entirely on God and relied fully on what God might do through us? It feels risky, because we are so aware of all that we have to get done. I wonder, though, if we might in fact feel more energized from it. I am not sure what God might do with us, but I suspect that our days would look different. The challenge of grace is the message that it is not about us or our work. It is about God’s action for us and in our lives. So, too, the message of incarnation is that it is God who transforms this world.
An article I read recently encouraged families to create several “present over presents” traditions to observe during the holidays this year. That is, the idea is to focus on finding times to be fully present to one another, devoting our time and attention to one another. This is not to say that we should eliminate giving gifts, but rather than more important than the gifts is finding times to focus on being present with our families and loved ones. Finding quiet quality times creates important connections. I will add to this that it takes the focus away from what we aim to do, and instead allows time to slow down and be aware of God with us. This may be a helpful way to focus on God’s action rather than our own.
Pastor Eric J. Trozzo