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Holiday Hassles
By Susanne Scheppmann
Key
Verse:
“My
people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in
undisturbed places of rest.” (Isaiah 32:18 NIV)
Devotion:
My
husband, Mark, hauled in the mummy-wrapped tree from the garage. He propped it
upright. Dust flew as he began to peel away the cellophane with his usual
exuberant self-confidence. I watched with trepidation. I felt the familiar
festivity stress begin to surface. The “holiday hassles” seem to begin when the
Christmas tree goes up. However, as the clear protective wrap dropped from the
branches, I saw the exact same Christmas tree from the year before. A quiet
peace oozed into my spirit as I felt my dread of the evening’s work disappear
as the adorable gingerbread tree emerged.
It
began at a charity Christmas tree auction last year. We bid on a uniquely
decorated artificial tree. Cookie cutters, dough-like men with painted clothes,
and brightly embroidered felt ornaments hung on its boughs. Every piece
promoted a gingerbread theme. Because of the tree’s popularity, we needed to
keep bidding higher. But finally, we won the bid and took our treasured tree
home.
However,
after the holidays a dilemma arose. How would we store the tree? I knew if we
removed the decorations, we would never be able to recreate the perfection of
the original. Mark decided to wrap the gingerbread-adorned decoration in
plastic wrap and store it the garage. I thought he was cuckoo. We live in the
desert where the temperature can rise to over 115 degrees in the summer. I
pictured rodents snacking on the flour and salt mixture of the gingerbread men.
I envisioned creepy bugs moving into the newly planned insect community. I
argued against the scheme—to no avail.
Although
I had predicted dire results for the tree, it now stood in its perfect
gingerbread attire. It dawned on me that we had “put up” our tree without any
fuss. Only a bit of dust needed to be wiped away. We didn’t experience any
tangled lights, burned out bulbs, or snarled metal ornament hooks. Instead of
hours of exertion, we popped a bowl of buttery popcorn and watched our favorite
Christmas movie.
I
realized that I tend to make my own Christmas stress. I could have insisted on
storing the tree in a hundred boxes and then taking hours to figure out how to
reassemble it. But because of my husband’s ingenuity, we gazed at our prized
tree without expending a lot of time or energy.
So
from now on, if there are places to cut corners in the hustle-bustle of
Christmas, I intend to do it. The key is finding out creative ways to keep
Christmas simple, yet meaningful. I will keep certain traditions that I truly
enjoy-- making fudge and Christmas cookies. But because I haven’t been able to
bake a decent piecrust in twenty years, I am going to buy the pumpkin pies.
Instead of wrapping presents, my gifts will go into those blessed gift bags.
And I think, while I am out purchasing those bags, I am going to buy another
industrial size roll of cellophane. I just might be able to plastic wrap the
tree, the wreath and my who knows what else to avoid holiday hassles for next year.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, remind me this month not to let holiday
hassles steal my peace and joy. Help me find ways to save time and energy, so I
can rest in the true meaning of Christmas, which is You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Application
steps:
Examine your Christmas to-do list. Pray over the
list, asking God to show you how to minimize your stress and maximize peace in
your home. Then begin to implement the time and energy-saving methods that come
to your mind.
Reflections:
Does
stress keep me from enjoying the holidays?
Why
do I feel pressured to have a “perfect” Christmas every year?
What
activities bring me joy and contentment during the month of December?
Power
verses:
Ecclesiastes
8:15, “So I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for a man
under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany him in
his work all the days of the life God has given him under the sun.” (NIV)
Jeremiah
31:25, “I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.” (NIV)
Matthew
11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you
rest.” (NIV)
© 2007 by Susanne Scheppmann. All rights reserved.
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