I apologize now for any of you who think this post has any Beyonce reference. It doesn’t. Instead, I’m releasing my inner television nerd to you. It’s a part of that whole authenticity thing I told you we were going to explore.
I love Survivor. I like to think I could “Outwit, Outlast, and Outplay” everyone. My husband agrees that I might be able to, but I also hate seafood which seems problematic. If you don’t watch, you don’t know that this season (which is season like 45,009) is called “Second Chance”. They had the audience vote on who to bring back from previous seasons to compete against each other. The whole premise has honed in on what they are going to do differently this season based on what got them in trouble last go-around. It’s been interesting because many of them have settled into a game plan that is “care less about the game and more about building relationships”.
Some seasons of our lives feel like we’re just surviving. And the holiday season seems to take survival skills no person really has. For many of us, it’s a season of managing hectic schedules, cooking until your fingerprints burn off, organizing gifts like a boss, and navigating complicated family situations. Now, some of you are veterans and have your traditions down to a science. For those of us that still feel like we struggle to keep our heads above water, let me offer some quick tips on surviving the holidays while hosting people in your home, attending parties and spending time with family:
Just get organized. Take one hour in the next few days, and do the following:
- Start a calendar of dates and places that you have things to do.
- Build a budget for gifts, decor and meals/treats you will be cooking. Stick to it.
- Begin a Christmas list on Pinterest. You can make a secret board and pick out gifts for everyone to keep yourself organized. Once you’ve bought it, delete the pin!
- Buy a Christmas journal. Pray through this season for things other than yourself. Keep it for next season. Tape Christmas cards into it that you receive this year, and pray for each of those families.
Rest in a dwelling place like no other. First and foremost, this is supposed to be fun, y’all! Let us not forget that things can get wild, but we have the joy and privilege of celebrating the birth of our Savior in the upcoming weeks. As cheesy as it sounds, if you don’t remember the reason for the season, you ain’t gonna survive. Don’t let the ruler of this world feed you lies that perfection is the goal. You will be tempted to believe that your presents need to be better, you food has to be gourmet, your decorations matter and your party dress has to be a show-stopper. They don’t. Rest in the dwelling place that the Lord provides that is by STILL waters. Slow down at least once daily during this season with a cup of white chocolate hot cocoa, fuzzy socks and some good time with your Lord.
Journal what you love about the holidays. Before they even begin, show your appreciation and thanksgiving to the Lord for giving us a season of cuddles, family time and carols. Recognizing what you love ahead of time will help you focus on those things during this season and not get bogged down with the “have-to-dos” that will approach.
Care less about the game and more about the relationships. Take a page out of the ole Survivor book, and run with it. If you’re like me, you have about 14 sides to the family that you have to sort through schedules to find time to see during the holidays. Whether it’s a divorced family or planning around in-laws or whatever that keeps your schedule busy, remember that your relationships matter. Jesus spent the first Christmas with His family. It wasn’t just Mary, they were all there. This is a season of peace and joy and love. Focus on that. Find a way to mend relationships, have uncomfortable conversations, and combine schedules in order to fit the people you love in, no matter the circumstance. It’s not about the game. Stop making excuses for not seeing certain people, and make this the best holiday season yet.
Remember whose birthday it is. I realize we still have Thanksgiving to go. Trust me, I didn’t forget. I may have indulged in a red Starbucks cup and have Dave Barnes Christmas albums already on repeat, but I love Thanksgiving and would never forget about it. But I think that the timing of Thanksgiving is impeccable. It give us time to reflect on what we love, appreciate, and are humbly blessed by before we celebrate Jesus’s birth. As you start picking out gifts (for others and yourself), find a way to serve those around you as a gift to Him. Volunteer at a homeless shelter, buy Christmas presents? for a family in need or even ask people to give to an orphanage overseas instead of giving you gifts. Celebrate the One who gave the ultimate gift by loving that which is most precious to Him -- people.
In a day and age when everyone’s edited and perfected posts fill our feeds with the thought that our lives or holidays or family don’t measure up, let us lift our eyes to see real Perfection. I know surviving for me this holiday season will also include guarding against comparison and living in the present even amidst the presents. My prayer is that my holiday identity isn’t found in surviving by the world’s standards but thriving and striving to live authentically.
I don’t want my confessions of those struggles mentioned above to be considered authenticity. Those things are sin. Authenticity doesn’t excuse sin. Authenticity points people to a greater reality that is found in the arms of Jesus. I pray 2 Corinthians 1:12 for this holiday season.
"For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you." (ESV)
May our holidays be hosted with simplicity and godly sincerity.
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