I feel overwhelmed by expectations. Not even expectations of others, but the ones I always seem to put on myself. My To Do list never shrinks. My husband thinks I’m crazy because I just cannot not be doing something.
Even when I’m not doing something, I’m reflecting. And if you’re an inward-thinking, reflecting type person, you know that can be exhausting.
But I love this time of year. My husband and I learned sometime back to simplify Christmas. We were getting caught up in the things and stuff. Now we just want to enjoy it. That truly has been a big help.
But I’m still me, so I create a long list of obligations nobody else even knows about and I am disappointed in myself when I cannot accomplish them. Again… nobody else even knows, and I disappoint myself.
So I forced myself to do what I do, and reflect on my list. Then I crossed almost everything off said list. Not because I had completed them, but because they aren’t what matters. I always want everything to be perfect, but I am reminding myself that real life is messy. And that’s ok, because it always will be. That’s reality.
But I digress.
Where was I?
Oh, yes. I love this time of year. To me, it’s conducive to simplifying and reflecting. I realize scholars have determined Jesus likely was not actually born this time of year, and that’s fine. We do celebrate Christmas now, and I think it’s perfectly placed before the New Year. Because what we are supposed to be celebrating isn’t all the stuff and things, but a baby who was a savior for the whole world. There is certainly a simplicity in that. Granted it’s a complicated simplicity, but… a baby. A fresh start. These ideas are simple.
This baby came to the world fresh and new, and yet was God. He was love. He was hope. He was a sacrifice. Most didn’t understand the purpose of this baby. Many still do not. But here he came anyway. And he died for us. Wow. For us.
It’s complicated, yet simple. Like with most things, we are the ones who complicated it. People are always overthinking and missing what is important. But we can use this time to reflect on that. And then we can look to a fresh start with the beginning of a new year.
I love this time of year.
caverns of my mind 