Christmas is all about Jesus. We celebrate Jesus' birth. Do you know why Jesus was born? He came to earth to bridge the divide between God and people. He essentially became the footbridge. The WAY to God is through Jesus. Jesus came to forgive us for not being perfect, because people aren't. And we can't be with God unless we are, so I guess he is the footbridge of Grace.
While we are celebrating this gift we could never repay, this grace, don't forget to give yourself a little. The season is often stressful. Those of you who write lists probably have many lists going. Things to do, things to buy, people to write, places to go, traditions to uphold, etc. etc. The problem is that we get bogged down in all the things we need to do and forget why we are doing these things in the first place.
I have intentionally not mentioned the 25 Days of Giving since the beginning of December. The last thing any giving activity should be is a chore, or something you think you SHOULD be doing and feel overwhelmed or guilty about. So if you set out to try the 25 Days of Giving and you find there are days when it is too stressful, you are too busy, or you are losing focus of why you do it then give yourself some grace. There is no tradition, even those rooted in the best intentions, that needs to be upheld if you can't focus on why you do it.
So if the kids each spill their milk, paint the walls and poop on the floor before 7 a.m., maybe give yourself some grace and focus on God by resting.
