What are We Doing and Why?

I know as I business owner, wife and mother of two, especially this time of year my days are spent running.  I find myself running from home to an appointment, then a meeting, to the grocery store to get ingredients to make a dish for a party or something for my child's lunch, back to work, then on to battle my way through the crowds at Target or the mall to quickly do some Christmas shopping, all before racing back home to cook dinner.  If I'm lucky, it's only 7:00 pm as I open the pantry and frig to assess what I can cook for my family.  And still waiting for me after dinner is cooked and dishes are washed is the online shopping, ordering and addressing of Christmas cards, the second or sometimes third trip in the day to Target for the item needed for a school project due tomorrow (amazing how no one mentioned their needs before the two previous trips I had made that day!) and somewhere in there I want to have quality time with my family.  I find that during December I often spend my days not just running but racing.  Typically, running and racing is my December norm until something or someone gets my attention and causes me to make an intentional decision to do things differently. 

However, December 2015 began on a different note for me.  After Thanksgiving, I decided to go about this holiday season at a different pace and with a different approach.  I began each day with dedicated quiet time that concluded with journaling.  I committed myself to being more "present" with those around me - taking time out of my day to listen to what's on the hearts of those I encounter throughout my day.  I committed to 30 minutes each Thursday during the noon hour to attend a reflective organ recital at my church. I even took an entire afternoon one weekend to sit and enter into the world of my teenage girls as they shared with me one of their favorite TV shows on Netflix. (I rarely sit and watch one TV show much less four, plus in one sitting!)  I even decided that Christmas cards just might not happen this year.  I made very intentional choices continually to slow my feet, enjoy the season and prepare my heart.  I didn’t want to do things daily because it’s what I’m “supposed to do.”  Instead, I wanted to make each day and each moment meaningful.  Many days I wasn’t near as efficient as usual but always felt good at the end of the day that the hours and minutes were spent in purposeful ways. 

This new approach to December was working beautifully…until this week.  Without realizing, I had subtly and ever so gradually begun to backslide into my old ways.  By Thursday, I had limited my quiet time and the journaling had ceased. I was running fast and furious from one stop to the next, I even caught myself making my “To Do” list in the midst of the organ recital!  And to fall even deeper down the hole, I broke down and ordered “New Year’s” cards!  Thursday night, when I found myself face-to-face with shoppers in the parking lot that were irritated, in such a rush and overly aggressive, I had fully fallen into the Holiday Humbug mode.  As I walked into my house and began cooking dinner, I proudly announced how absolutely dreadful holiday shopping is and if anyone else in my house ever did the shopping they wouldn’t be so quick to point out my lack of Christmas cheer!  Upon the words rolling off my tongue I instantly took note of the state of my heart and mind.  Without realizing it, I had fallen into my usual December ways of running and racing to do all of what I am “supposed to do.”  And as my loved ones have been quick to point out in past years, I was in Scrooge-mode.  So I stopped and asked myself, 
“what am I doing and why am I doing these things?”  Sure I could justify myself – my mood and my actions, if I wanted.  But instead I stopped and acknowledged there is a better way.  I then recommitted to finding my way back to the “unusual December” – one committed to slowing my feet and being present with those around me.  For one of the greatest gift we can give one another is to be truly present with one another. 

So what are we doing and why?  Usually, we are just doing the best we can…and some days are better than others.  May these next seven days be intentional and purposeful for you!