How a Christmas Flunky found Holiday Joy

I cannot lie. I stink at Christmas. 

Some years, I don’t even like it.

First, there are the presents. I have friends who intuitively know how to find the perfect gift for everyone they love. I so envy them. I feel such pressure to find just the right gifts that I dread the start of the holiday season. 

Then, if I manage to find a decent gift, I feel the pressure to wrap it—just so. It’s not enough to have substance, there must also be presentation. 

My children will tell you they always know which packages are from Mom. Each has an extra square of wrapping paper taped to the bottom to cover the place where the paper doesn’t quite meet in the middle. 

And those big, sparkly, wire-ribboned bows? I can barely tie my tennis shoes, let alone create something stunning to adorn my packages. 

I’m not very good at decorating, either. My friends start scouting for trendy new additions to their décor as soon as Hobby Lobby sets out its Halloween/Christmas display in August. Not me. I postpone it as long as possible unless I can talk one of my artsy daughters into helping me. If I didn’t have grandchildren, I’d skip the Christmas tree altogether.

For years, the angst I felt about all things Christmas stole the joy from my celebration and made me dread it long before the December calendar page flipped.

Maybe you’re a Christmas flunky too. Maybe you despise our culture’s pressure to make every Christmas bigger and better than the one before. Perhaps you too feel the desire to slow down, simplify, and savor, but you’re not sure how to make it happen. 

I shared the rest of this story with the Our Daily Bread community on the God Hears Her blog. CLICK HERE to read How a Holiday Flunky Found Christmas Joy.

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