Present in the Chaos
You guys. I can’t believe how much gift wrapping I have left to do before Christmas. Every year I tell myself I’ll have it all done by mid-month so I can just relax and enjoy the downtime before Christmas with my family. Maybe even read a book (gasp). But every year, I just don’t seem to pull it off.
I’m guessing I’m not alone. (Maybe I should be breathing a sigh of relief that I’m at least done with my shopping?) And here we are again, wanting to relish in the season but finding ourselves too busy. Maybe you aren’t physically busy; maybe you’re mentally busy. It amounts to the same thing, doesn’t it? Separation from the people or things we’d rather be able to focus on.
I’m not here to give you Three Magic Ways to Stop Being Busy, although I wish I could. Instead, I’m here to encourage us (yes, myself included) to embrace life right here, right now, no matter how messy, busy, or complicated life might be.
Be present in the chaos.
When just the very top of your to-do list looks like this…
- Make cookies for event
- Fill out Christmas cards
- Finish Christmas shopping
- Spend time with Jesus
- Wrap gifts
- Play with my kids and/or spend time with friends
…please don’t be planning your Christmas shopping list in your mind while you’re playing with your kids. Be present.
Please don’t be worrying about the Christmas meal plan while you’re spending time with Jesus. Be present.
Please don’t be worrying about (fill in the blank) while you’re filling out cards. Be present.
People have been taking pride in multi-tasking for far too long. I admit, sometimes it’s a necessary evil, but I also realize how soul-sucking it can become. When we multi-task, nothing ever feels done. Our minds are always working on the next task, which means our souls never get a chance to rest and breathe before we move on to the next task or thought.
Be present in the moment, whether you’re spending time with loved ones, cooking, cleaning, or praying. Let yourself fully experience the moment, tell yourself it’s okay to just do one thing at a time, and see if just a little bit of that holiday stress doesn’t melt away.
There’s a quote by Dallas Willard that I just love (which is answering the question of how to be spiritually healthy).
“Ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.”
That’s it. Short. Sweet. Magical.
Whether our hurry is physical or mental, it’s exhausting and is distracting us from God’s full purpose for our lives. Honestly, I ebb and flow in this area of life, but when I’m truly intentional to eliminate hurry and be present in each moment, the peace that it brings is indescribable, and so, so worth it.
Eliminate the hurry and see what God has in store for you. Be present in each moment, and I’m positive you won’t regret it. You just may end up with enough space in your life, mind, and heart to fully celebrate God coming to earth as a baby in order to begin carrying out his rescue plan for humankind.
Thank you, God, for loving us enough to come to earth in the form of Jesus in order to show us your love in person, reach, and rescue us. Thank you that we can trust your plans for our lives. May we honor and glorify you this season by offering you our hearts, minds, and time. Let us slow down, be present, and embrace each moment as the gift that it is. In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.
Leave me a comment to share your thoughts and your best tips for slowing down when life is busy! And, if you haven’t already, pop on over to the sidebar (or the bottom of your phone) and sign up to receive blog posts and writer updates straight to your email! When you do, you’ll receive a thank-you gift of a printable list of my top ten favorite inspirational quotes and verses! Merry Christmas and thanks for stopping by! Oh, and – shameless plug – if you’re struggling to come up with gift ideas for the kids in your life, check out these books: Under the Dancing Tree by Chip Mattis or Power Up by Jessie Mattis! :) With the magic of Amazon Prime, you still have time!
(One last thing – I just reread my Thanksgiving post and truly had no idea this post was about basically the same thing. Guess we all know time management is my big struggle these days, don’t we?? Haha!)
Excellent advice. And it’s on a topic we can’t hear about too often. So no worries about Thanksgiving, lol. At least that’s how it is with me. But it is so much less efficient to multitask than to TRY do many things at once even though it seems like common sense to get a lot of things done at the same time. As you say, though, nothing ever feels done that way. Soul-sucking is an apt description. So, take a breath and relish whatever moment you are in.
Love the Willard quote. And I’m continually asking the Lord to help me be present in the present…it’s hard in our world of distractions and within our own soul and mind…but so worth it. Merry Christmas, Jessie!
Sorry for the late reply, but thank you, Karen! Hope you had a great Christmas! :)
Now that Christmas is over I can look back and say I survived. Just kidding. I think I did OK-ish. I’ve learned to cut some unnecessary things out during the Holidays that make my life a little easier. I stopped sending Christmas cards about 7 years ago. So freeing. I absolutely love Christmas, and I can get lost in doing, just like so many of us. Just being, that’s the challenge. I’m trying. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas!
Jessie, what an encouraging post! I know I’m catching up here well after the Christmas frenzy, but the message is timeless and I needed to hear it today. Wow, how easily I can focus on my to-do list and miss the most important things. The loved ones who just want to talk, laugh and be with me and our heavenly Father who made space for His Son to save me, so I can be with Him forever. May I never crowd out Jesus!