A Pre-Holiday Meditation

A Pre-Holiday Meditation -christyfitzwater.com

Come up with me, to a rooftop café (that I’ve fabricated in my imagination, but it really is lovely.) I’ll sip a hot mocha latte, single shot, skinny, half-chocolate, no whip. You may order whatever you would like. My treat.

From this calm, slow, meditative place, let us look down on the hullabaloo that is the American holiday season. See the crowded Costco parking lot? See the mom with hunched shoulders, trying to herd three kids into Target? See the grandmas stocking up on butter, because we all know butter is the taste of Christmas.

Busy, busy, busy. Stress, or as we might say in Spanish, “tensión mental.” Stretched-thin checking accounts. Cultural expectations.

Oh, and see over there the Camp Fire that just destroyed the California town of Paradise? See all of those dazed, homeless people?

Here we are, pulling away from the world and sipping a warm drink, while we get a Kingdom perspective on what holiday really means. Let’s talk in low voices together, about how we will walk through these days (once we sip to the bottom of our coffee cups.)

How will we, the beloved children of Jesus, step into all of this and live vibrant and shining?

How will we maintain an unusual calm that will be a contrast to frantic?

How will we keep a wise eye on suffering and offer compassion and comfort?

How will we create warm, rich, extravagant traditions with our sweet families but without loving the world and all of the stuff?

Jesus says the greatest commandment is this:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.  (Mark 12:30 NIV)

We’re doing it right now. We’re loving God with our minds, as we step back and think about the holidays before we dive into them. We think God-ward thoughts about all of the traditions, money, festivities, presents, and suffering. We love God the best when we ponder how we can direct all of these elements of our holidays to bring honor to him.

You know, most people don’t think; they just do. But we are different. Because we are created by God, we have purpose, and we can do Thanksgiving through New Years’ Day with careful intention. Following Christ requires us to stretch our minds toward him in all of life, so we do the mental work regarding holiday lifestyle.

Hopefully, people around us will see and feel this difference in us, and we can be ready to tell them why we walk calmly through holidays with peace, deep joy, and meaning.

9 Comments

  1. Diane Nickerson says:

    Thank you for the reminder to stop, think, plan, and reflect before the holiday craziness can take hold. I function so much better when I’ve taken the time to get at least an idea of what I would like to see happen. So, I’m joining you for a bit with a chai tea latte (because I do NOT like coffee…can we be friends anyway?) and a notebook, so I don’t forget my good intentions.

      1. Diane Nickerson says:

        Duly noted: no coffee for me, no chai for you. 😉

  2. I love how this starts!! Hoping you will follow it soon with some suggestions? I for one am always on the lookout for
    ways to “get a Kingdom perspective on what holiday really means” and how to “step into all of this and live vibrant and shining”. Thank you!!

    1. You know, I purposefully didn’t make specific suggestions, because I think we all need to approach the holidays in unique ways. Everybody will have different traditions and will have different needs put on their hearts. It’s something unique for each individual to explore within his own family and community and relationship with the Lord. And I think things even change for us as we go through different seasons of life. What I did when my kids were little is different now that they’re adults.

  3. Cindy Merritt says:

    Ahhhh, Christy, thanks for this sweet reminder! Now is the time to ponder this, to pray, to prepare our hearts. We want to look different – for the peace of God to shine inside and bubble out of us, proclaiming to the world what a glorious Savior we serve! (I don’t think light bubbles, but you know what I mean ?.)

    May God bless you and your family.

  4. Thanks for the reminder, Christy, to slow down as the holidays approach and ponder how best I can honor God in these days. I want to experience them with careful intention, reflecting God’s love to my family and others. You’ve written words of wisdom here this morning and I appreciate them (and you)!

    1. Thank you, Alice. May the Lord bless your people through you this holiday season!

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