3 Ways to Prepare Your Heart for the Holiday Season
Author: Abi Oxley-Derrick
October 19, 2023
3 Ways to Prepare Your Heart for the Holiday Season
The countdown is on. Halloween is in 12 days, which means the official start to the Christmas Season (aka, Christmas First) is in 13 days. Throw in Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and a thousand events in between, and you have yourself a very full couple of months. Now, I’m sure that you fall into one of two categories after reading that paragraph. It either excited you, fueled you up, and maybe even sparked a little happy dance (just me?), or it sent you into a feeling of dread and made you tired before it has even begun. Regardless of where you fall on that spectrum or how you feel about this time of year, we can all agree that it has the potential to be exhausting, overwhelming, and just a lot. So how can we, even now at the end of October, prepare our hearts and minds for the months ahead? How do we create intentional rhythms that allow this time of year to be life-giving and not draining? I’m so glad you asked.
1: Set Realistic Expectations: If you’re anything like me, you go into the beginning of October with grand ideas of how the rest of the year will go. Visits to the picture perfect pumpkin patch, carving pumpkins in a rom-com style of lighthearted fun, the most beautifully hand-sewn Halloween costume that awards 10 pounds of candy, and don’t even get me started on all of the extravagant, well-planned Christmas activities! Unfortunately, if you’re anything like me, the best-laid plans often fall through, and you’re left feeling less-than because you couldn’t create a pinterest-worthy series of holidays for your family. Can I give you permission to release that? It’s okay. Galatians 1:10 says, “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” At this time of year, I think it’s important to evaluate the reasoning behind what we think we have to do. Are we setting unrealistic expectations on ourselves because we want our kids to have amazing childhood memories, so we can create an online persona, or so we can feel like we have some control? Ultimately, we need to release our own expectations of perfection, and strive for a holiday season that is centered around intentional family time, and gratitude for what God has done. Rather than seeking the approval of Instagram likes, let's let the Lord be the center of our “why.”
2: Evaluate Your Plate: October through December is a notoriously busy time of year. Between regular life, you add in multiple church events, a thousand school parties, recitals, plus family and work gatherings. It takes our already hectic lives to a whole new level, and leaves us feeling completely burned out and bitter by January 1st. Not a great way to start a new year, huh? Before the holiday rush has even begun, I urge you to “evaluate your plate.” What does it look like now? What do you anticipate it looking like 1 month from now? What can you do right now to clear room on your plate so that this season is fun and enjoyable? Are you carving out time for rest and relaxation? Does this give you time for moments alone with Jesus? Is your family going to feel like they have your full attention or will you all be run ragged? Before Halloween is over, take the time to look at your plate and set boundaries that will make the season what it should be: a reflection of thankfulness and celebrating what God has done for us.
3: Presence Over Presents: This time of year can be filled with so much stuff. Suddenly you need 12 new outfits, 237 gifts, a million baked goods, and countless other things. What would it look like if we committed to stop with all the extra stuff and just allow the season to be about presence. Time with family and friends, intentional time spent together in community, time with the Lord. Believe it or not, all of that can be done without gifts and extravagant gatherings! And please, hear me, none of those things are bad! They are wonderful and fun. But when we allow it all to take away from what really matters, it becomes a problem. Psalm 16:11 says, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” The presence of God is filled with more pleasure than anything material that this world can give. Let’s strive for more of that this year.
My prayer for you as we go into this holiday season is that it is filled to the brim with joy! Joy that is found in family time, in laughs and snuggles, in time with loved ones, the incredible presence of God, slowness and quiet, and LOVE!
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