Zipping around Blogland, I'm finding many friends who are slogging along in the otherwise fast-paced Christmas Lane this year. They're not even sure why their holiday engines just aren't revving up like they normally do in December.
Well folks, I'm right their crawling along with you.
Of course, the past ten Christmases (or so) I've slowed way down and cut way back and gone all calm and laid-back in progressive degrees. Or tried to, anyway. One year it hit me that I just didn't like doing Christmas the way we (and everybody else) did it.
Well guess what? We don't even have our pitiful little grapevine tree anymore! It didn't survive Debra's Big Ruthless Decluttering Adventure of 2007, for the whole kit-and-kaboodle, decorations still on the poor thing, was given away.
Want to be further traumatized? Not that we had many Christmas decorations anyway, but I whittled those all down into one white file box before we moved. I got the box out of the attic this week--it's only half-full. Hey, I kept only the decor I liked, and well, that was it. Half a file box.
But you know? I can't help it. I keep hearing God say, "It's okay, Debra. Relax. Just do Christmas the way I tell you to--and everything will be all right."
And Folks, I'm just crazy enough to believe Him. He's got this amazing, incredible track record from the past. And when I allow God to take over? Oh my, He gives me such creative ideas. And healing, too.
Oh the miracles when I get out of the way.
And perhaps that's the reason for our Yule Time sluggishness. Maybe God is trying to hold us still so we'll listen awhile to His ideas... so He can teach us His ways, instead.
After all, His ways are higher, so much higher, than our own. And they always will be.
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"Be still and know that I am God..."
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"So that the righteous and just requirement of the Law might be fully met in us who live and move not in the ways of the flesh but in the ways of the Spirit [our lives governed not by the standards and according to the dictates of the flesh, but controlled by the Holy Spirit]." Romans 8:4 (Amplified)
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In case you missed it, here's my post about making gift-giving saner by far..
How beautiful.
ReplyDeleteHow true.
To often we get caught up in the lights and show and forget the real meaning.
I say: get your self an amazing nativity and celebrate it the way God calls you to!
:)
I followed your link from Daisy Cottage and I just love it here! You have an awesome blog. Hope you don't mind if I add you to my links. xoxo
ReplyDeleteYou are right about gift-giving...either make lists or go shop together...heehee...who cares if it is wrapped or a surprize? Not me...I want it to be useful in some way. This year my most expensive thing was a bottle of my favorite perfume....needed it, and had coupon for $5 off which almost never happens. We don't do Christmas anymore...finding more joy in the Biblical feasts taught in Scripture...and gifts for them are not important, other than giving to those who are in need. We like to give year around when we see someone needs something...but that is a huge change from our past too. With internet too, such a great way to shop too!!
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