Christmas Chaos

Christmas chaos is a situation I fight hard not to experience. The key for me is to do the things I love and let the rest go.  I love to bake and entertain.  I love Christmas music and I love the opportunity to worship.  I try to spend as much time doing those things as I possibly can.

When I must do something that I don't love, I try to find a way to be thankful and joyful in the situation.  I don't love to shop but  I love those for whom I buy gifts.  I try find the joy in each line, shopping cart and choice because it is an act of loving sacrifice.  Prayer is required sometimes.  I do try to shop early and to know exactly what I want and where to get it.  I don't spend time window shopping or wandering and looking.  I also try to buy from small, local businesses.  They tend to have good service and I feel that my purchase is providing a direct benefit. 

For the most part, I love the holiday season.  Mine begins the week before Thanksgiving when we hold our annual shoebox packing party for Operation Christmas Child.  We continued with a Thanksgiving celebration that included family, family and more family.  Twenty people were at our table.  Sixteen of those stayed through the weekend.  It was a time for which I will be forever thankful.

Thanksgiving has been followed by tree trimming, Christmas music, cookie baking, Christmas pageant rehearsal, Christmas parties, a search for Mary's costume, cookie baking, church dinner, A Christmas Story, cookie decorating.  We have so many more holiday adventure ahead of us.  Another company Christmas party, our own Winter Solstice party, Christmas Adam, Christmas Eve, Christmas.  Most of the Christmas shopping is done.  I put in the last orders online today.  I've only got a few last things to pick up and then I can start wrapping. 

Some things are different this year but so many of our traditions and habits have stayed the same.  It's good to know that Christmas can happen anywhere and that chaos is not absolutely required.