Why Do I Do This Every Year?

Here I am on the eve of the day that will mark two weeks left until Christmas, and where am I on the timeline? Still don’t have a single Christmas card mailed. Don’t have my packages that need to go clear across country in the mail yet. Don’t have all the gifts wrapped that need to go in those boxes and haven’t even received one of the gifts I need to send from the catalog store yet. The tree isn’t up yet and the decorations aren’t even in from the garage.

Why do I do this every year? That’s the same question my sister just wrote and asked me in an email. Christmas comes on the same day every single year. I know that as soon as we finish celebrating Christmas Day this year, I will have 365 whole days to get ready for its arrival next year. You’d think after 58 years, I would have learned my lesson.

Still, despite the last minute rush and all that I have to do in the next two weeks to get ready for the big day, I am not particularly stressed this year. I believe the reason is this. Despite all I still need to accomplish before the big day, there is so much more to this season than the “busyness”.

I enjoyed preparing a shoe box for the Operation Christmas Child project. I like to buy gifts for my family when I know what I’m looking for! I love to admire all the Christmas decorations and listen to the Christmas music on the radio. Most of all, though, I like to take a little time each day and think about Jesus and the miraculous events that occurred in Bethlehem over two thousand years ago.

If you’re anything like me, struggling to catch up with all the “busyness” in order to be ready for Christmas day, don’t let the hustle and bustle of the season overshadow its sacred meaning!

Thanks for reading my blog!