How to Keep it Simple at Christmas
Trying to Be Queen Christmas
I scrolled through my Facebook timeline two days after Halloween and noticed so many friends already decorating their homes for Christmas.
“Just put our Christmas tree up!”
“It’s not even Thanksgiving yet and I’ve already done half my Christmas shopping!”
What in the world? Christmas is so far away!
“Over-achievers,” I said under my breath.
I hadn’t even thought about decorating so soon, much less shopping. I rolled my eyes in envy vowing that I, too, could be organized.
I, too, would have it all together.
In fact, not only would I have it all together, I’d do it better.
They’d call me “Queen Christmas.”
Right then and there I donned my cutest ath-leisure outfit and off to Target I went. I snagged a cute notebook to write down all the plans for all the things. Then, I swung by my local home goods store and bought the latest and trendiest decor. I purchased a tree for almost every room.
Did I mention those trees were 50% off at Hobby Lobby? I couldn’t wait to tell my husband how much money I saved (insert eye roll)!
The Illusion of a Perfect Christmas
Looking back, everything was just as I’d planned. The trees looked so bright and festive.
I’d planned the perfect menu leading up to the holidays.
The brown paper and gingham print wrapping paper looked amazing against my hand-scraped wooden floors and French country decor.
I really was Queen Christmas.
Everything was perfect.
With the exception of my heart.
No, my heart wasn’t perfect. In fact, it was a complete wreck.
Because I’d focused on all the wrong things. I had suffered for it and so had my family.
The Cost of Pursuing Perfection
While I was shopping around for the perfect decor, my husband was pulling his hair out over our bank account. I was so fixated on planning the perfect meals and gifts for under the tree, I’d completely missed the struggles both my girls were having at school that semester.
I was running a hundred miles a minute trying to prove myself.
Looking back, it wasn’t worth it, friend. Not one bit.
A Lesson from the Bible
Martha and Mary were two sisters who deeply loved Jesus, yet one was “Queen Christmas,” and the other simply wanted a peaceful time, sitting at his feet.
As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42 NLT)
I can relate to Martha, especially when it comes to Christmas, can’t you? I love Jesus’ response to her: “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Jesus just wanted me.
How to Keep it Simple at Christmas
The following year I did things differently. I focused on HIM. I focused on the joy of family. I kept it simple.
I threw away the notion that in order for Christmas to be merry and bright, there needed to be a tree in every room. You can decide how many trees you want, and if that’s only one, it will be perfectly fine.
I wanted Christmas to overwhelm my heart, not my space. So I only put out minimal Christmas decor that made me happy. All the rest I donated or put in a garage sale. I was over it. We focused on our family and started new, meaningful traditions that blessed each person with peace.
Christmas doesn’t need to be complicated, friend. In fact, when it’s simple, it’s beautiful.
How will you keep it simple this Christmas?
Wife Step: Write down what’s really important this year for Christmas and keep it simple. Focus on the peace and warmth that Jesus alone brings.
Shannon Geurin is a wife, mother, writer and speaker; but most of all she’s a fighter. She has learned what it takes to fight for her marriage and family. She is deeply passionate about empowering women to rise up through their circumstances and fight in order to find their greatest calling. Shannon loves serving an actively engaged “Fiercely His” community via her website www.shannongeurin.com. Her authentic, genuine style and courage to speak the truth is a breath of fresh air to her readers and is one of her greatest qualities. An Oklahoma girl at heart with the accent and “y’alls” to prove it, she currently resides in the beautiful mountains of Colorado. She graduated with a nursing degree from the University of Oklahoma, but spends her time sipping coffee, writing and doing what she loves most, taking care of her crazy family. Shannon has been married for more than 25 years to her husband John, and is Mom to two spirited daughters, Alex and Averee.
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