MAKE ROOM FOR PEACE
Christmas is busy! There is so much to do!
The decorating needs to be done. We need to prepare for the arrival of guests. You may be expected to attend the company Christmas party with your spouse. Shopping and baking still need to get done. The Chamblee First calendar is full of holiday Happenings. Every year we wonder just how we’re going to fit it all in.
But it’s not this way only at Christmas time. Many of us live at a frenetic pace the other 11 months of the year, too. We expend so much energy zipping from here to there, accomplishing tasks, and juggling obligations that we leave little time to pause and ponder.
Maybe that’s one of the reasons the shepherds were the first to hear about the birth of Jesus. They were “living in the fields, guarding their sheep at night.” It must have been quieter with their flocks than it was with the crowds in town who’d arrived for the census.
Nearby shepherds were living in the fields, guarding their sheep at night. The Lord’s angel stood before them, the Lord’s glory shone around them, and they were terrified. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid! Look! I bring good news to you — wonderful, joyous news for all people. Your savior is born today in David’s city. He is Christ the Lord.
— Luke 2:8-11 CEB
Amid our busyness throughout the year, and especially during Christmas, we need to take time for wonder, awe, and PEACE.
Does your to-do for Christmas the holiday, include preparing for Christmas the Mass of Christ? If not, try channeling your inner shepherd! Give yourself a time-out and, literally, step outside and gaze up into the sky. Pause for a moment of meditation to process and give thanks for all that God is doing in and for you. Then, intentionally make room for peace and consciously pass the peace this Christmas.
PRAYER: O God, slow me down so that I might experience the wonder, awe, and peace of Christmas. Amen.