Harried and Hurried

Special thanks to Sarah this week at Motherhood and Beyond for hosting In "other" Words.

“One reason we are so harried and hurried is that we make yesterday and tomorrow our business, when all that legitimately concerns us is today. If we really have too much to do, there are some items on the agenda which God did not put there. Let us submit the list to Him and ask Him to indicate which items we must delete. There is always time to do the will of God. If we are too busy to do that, we are too busy.”
~Elisabeth Elliott~

This quote really hit home with me this week. I love Christmas and the holidays. My house is decorated by Thanksgiving and it has become a tradition to turn the outside Christmas lights on Thanksgiving evening. I love the hustle and bustle of shopping, the crispness of the morning air, the decorations and all the activities that take place throughout the month of December.

The hectic schedule has already began to unfold in my life. Unfortunately I don't have a free evening this week! We met at the church last night with a host of volunteers and decorated the church. It looked so lovely when we finished. Friday evening is our annual Christmas social. Throughout this month there will be an open house at our home, a ladies Christmas tea, choir program, children's program and other holiday parties. In the midst of all those activities Christmas shopping must be finished, cookies must be baked, cards addressed and mailed and any additional holiday activities must somehow be squeezed into the already full schedule. Of course we still must juggle the routine household chores, work and church responsibilities into the days. Wow! That makes me tired just talking about all that must be done.

This is a season to be thankful for all of God's blessings and to also be reminded of the gift God gave to each of us. This is a time of year to give and to bless others as God has blessed us. It is so easy to be overwhelmed by all the demands of the holiday. Let's remember why we celebrate Christmas. Stress is certainly a large part of our lives as we struggle to cram everything into a short period of time. I refuse to focus on all that needs to be done each week which will only complicate my life more. My hubby is most likely facing surgery on his back in the next several weeks and I am not sure where that will put me regarding the activities of the church. My focus will be one day at a time. God knows what tomorrow holds for each of us. Worrying about tomorrow only brings more stress to our lives. Stress robs us spiritually and diverts our attention away from the things of God.

Many of us wear numerous hats and multi-task is a normal part of our vocabulary. This is a good month to take a step back, breath deep and seriously take inventory of our lives. Are there things which can be delegated to someone else? Can someone else help with the shopping or the baking or maybe even help clean our home for the holidays? We don't have to do everything and if we ask for help it certainly doesn't indicate we are less of a woman or have relinquished our super-woman title for the month. I certainly will not complain if someone offers to bake cookies for my family or help with other activities in the church.

Focus on today and prioritize your schedule. Make time for daily devotions and prayer. Even in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the holidays nothing is more important than our relationship with the Lord.

Blessings to you today!