Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

So I am really not in the Holiday frame of mind.  The time seems to have just snuck up on me and is going at warp speed and I am far from ready.  I was trying to decide why the holidays seem to bring so much stress when they should be a time of joy and relaxation.  I'm sure there are many answers depending on who you ask as to why they are stressed out over the holidays.

Maybe they don't think they have enough time to get everything done.  Or enough money.  Maybe they know there will be someone judging what they do and how they do it.  Maybe its that the plans that were made will get changed or not go perfectly.  Maybe its just hard to do the holidays because life has thrown us a curve ball and someone isn't going to be there that we want to be there.  Or grief, or loneliness.  All of these things can add to the stress of the holidays. 

I know for me its a little bit of an introvert thing - too many people.  It's not that I don't enjoy the people I know I will see but I know it will take more energy and that causes me a bit of stress and exhaustion before the fact.  There is also the expectations that we put on the holidays.  That everyone will get the perfect gift or have the perfect meal and no one will get their feelings hurt or whatever we expect that doesn't quite work out.  All of those things take the joy out of our holidays.

Thanksgiving and Christmas and even New Years should be a time of overwhelming joy.  But we let our emotions and life interfere with the reality.  The reality is that we all have the same amount of time and we all have different expectations and we all have different emotions.  The Holidays should be about worship.  Thanking God for all we have been blessed with and for His Son who came as a baby and a New Year to start again.  When we take the focus off the little stuff - how many gifts are under the tree - do we decorate before or after Thanksgiving - do we travel - do we not - then we can focus on what matters.  Being kind and grateful and loving and worshipping the one true God.

That's not easy to do.  We just want everything to be perfect and we let that overwhelm our emotions.  We have to take the time to get with God.  He can redirect our focus.  He can help us find rest and enthusiasm about the days.  Don't sweat the small stuff this year - try to let it go and just seek the One that it should all be about.  Focus on the King - the reason we are thankful and celebrating. 

Psalm 100:4 (NIV) Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.