Seasonal Sisterhood (Conclusion)

Posted on December 5, 2013 by Margaret

Yesterday we met 3 women befuddled by the crush of holiday preparation, and I promised we’d look at ways to manage over-commitment in today’s post. Below are 10 suggestions I’ve used, and maybe you readers will offer many more in your comments. The Seasonal Sisterhood needs to stick together!

1. Instead of buying gifts for everyone on your list, divide your gift-receivers into related groups and pick names, one apiece. Buying one nice gift is easier, cheaper, and quicker than purchasing 10 small ones. Our 7 children have done this for years.

2. If your family wants home baked cookies, choose a morning and invite a couple of friends over, with or without children. Ask them to bring their favorite cookie dough, ready for baking. This is a time to talk and laugh together while getting the baking done. Everybody takes home the cookies made with the dough they brought. This became a fun holiday tradition for us.

3. If you’re hiring a babysitter, pick her up one hour earlier than you need her. Drive to a well lit parking lot and use those 60 minutes to slow yourself down. Listen to holiday music with your eyes closed. Read a book. Revise your lists. Pray. Or take a nap. This was often a sanity-saver for me.

4. Resist the temptation to work into the night while your family sleeps. A rested worker is an efficient worker.

5. Cut your Christmas card list in half by eliminating those who don’t reciprocate. If they miss hearing from you, you might hear back from them for the first time in a long while.

6. When you sign up to help at school, church, or in the neighborhood, remember that if you say no, others will come forward with a yes.

7. When you invite people over and they ask what they can bring, have your list ready. They and you will enjoy the evening more with the contribution, and you can share recipes.

8. Wrap all your gifts in the same decorative paper and ribbon. It becomes a signature look and makes a unique holiday display in your home before you distribute them.

9. Pay the children to haul out decorations and put them up. They’ll be wonderfully creative while earning money to buy Christmas gifts for others. Remember to brag on your kids when guests notice your unusual decorating.

10. Check with good friends about exchanging gifts again this year. Maybe it’s become a burden for both of you, and each would appreciate being let off the hook. Share a simple meal instead.

* * * * * * * *

As for the “sister” who ran into Target without turning off her car, she came flying out of the store with her purchase just as I was going back in. When she drove away, she passed me, and I saw a sleeping toddler in the back seat. She had taken a big chance, which shows how desperate The Sisterhood can get.

May we honor our Savior’s coming by saying no to over-commitment and yes to more of him. Just like Jesus’ mother Mary, let’s take time to ponder.

“Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.” (Luke 2:19)

Seasonal Sisterhood

Posted on December 4, 2013 by Margaret

Unlike most women, I don’t like shopping, not for clothes, food, household items, or anything else. It’s time-consuming and often unfruitful, which then requires a second day’s effort on the same task. The result of all my negativity is that by the time I finally venture out with a list, there are 8 or 9 stops on it, almost enough to debilitate a non-shopper. And during the holidays? The list covers both sides of the paper.

My irritability showed recently as I walked into Target, ready to tackle item #6. Taking time for a quick bathroom stop, I stood in front of the red door pushing the button on my car key’s remote control.

When it wouldn’t open, I stretched my arm out straight, much like a TV watcher, clicking my “unlock” button like crazy. It was the word “PUSH” printed on the door that straightened me out, and I wondered how many people behind me were enjoying a good laugh.

When I finally had a cart, I realized I’d left my list on the car dashboard. But heading back to the parking lot, I found out there were other shoppers worse off than me. A woman two parking spots down was in such a hurry she jumped out of her car, slammed the door, and raced toward the store without turning off her engine. I decided to get in my car and wait a minute to see what would happen.

As I sat there, another holiday shopper pulled into the spot in front of me. Then she did something funny. She wrapped her arms around her steering wheel like she was giving it a hug, putting her face on her arms. Was she crying? Napping? Praying?

Deciding she just needed a moment, I left her alone and headed back to Target, this time with my list. Immediately inside a woman was wrestling her cranky toddler into a cart, his pajamas sticking out from under his jacket. Her preschooler was standing next to her, also still in pj’s.

These women all belong to The Sisterhood of the Over-Committed when it comes to Christmas prep. It’s the extra baking, entertaining, gift-wrapping, decorating, addressing Christmas cards, and for moms of school children, attending programs, keeping track of holiday clothes, parties, grab bag gifts, and teacher presents that make December an over-committed month. It’s what brings women together in a Target parking lot, all of whom have been pressed to the point of acting irrationality.

God is hoping the birth of Jesus will be our #1 priority at this time of year, not just in our hearts but in our actions.

But when we get spread too thin, much of the joy he wants us to experience evaporates, and we can’t wait for the season to end. Surely this isn’t the way to celebrate our Savior’s arrival.

Tomorrow: a few suggestions to lighten the holiday load so there’s more time for Jesus. Also, the end of the car-left-running story.

“In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling….” (Psalm 127:2)

Winter in July

Posted on August 6, 2013 by Margaret

When I was growing up in the Chicago suburbs, my home church was Moody Church (45 minutes away). One of the many good memories I have of those years is “Christmas in July” when we would bring Christmas cards and gifts for the many missionaries the church supported all over the world. The Missions Committee informed us it would take every bit of 5 months for our packages to reach their destinations abroad by December, which was why we had to pack them up in July.

As a child I didn’t really believe such long-range planning was necessary, and even now I struggle to plan and prepare far enough ahead. Certain people come equipped with a clock-consciousness that serves them well through life. When deadlines arrive, they’re always ready. Nate had that time-management ability and was never late to a meeting or unprepared when he got there. I’ve seen the same thing in Birgitta, watching her successfully juggle motherhood, full time college, and a job.

And I can get jealous noting how easy it is for these types to be prepared. But of course it really isn’t that easy; they just faithfully work at it.

As I read God’s Word, every so often I bump into a passage that challenges me to work at being prepared. It’s usually couched in a warning: “If you’re not, you’ll regret it for these reasons.” For example, God writes about Christ’s second coming in that way (multiple times), because he wants all of us to be ready when he appears.

He also warns us that death comes to everyone, and before its unpredictable arrival, we should ponder the bottom lines of our lives. He wants us to be sure we’ve made the main thing the main thing so there are no negative surprises after-the-fact. In other words, we’re to thoughtfully prepare.

God instructs us on the importance of being ready for other things, too. We’re to be prepared to have good answers for anyone who asks why we believe what we do. Also, he encourages us to prepare for difficult times by working as diligently as little ants do. And another example is his challenge to be prepared when Satan tempts us with his evil schemes.

We have a lot to work on, and some of us find it easier said than done. Regardless, all of us are to keep at it.

A while ago while babysitting Emerald, I opened her bottom dresser drawer in search of a sun hat, and she was eager to “help” find it. I sat her down in front of the drawer where she ended up playing happily for 15 minutes. In the process we came across her furry winter hat. Despite the hot weather, she wanted to put it on immediately and wear it around the house.