On Your Mark, Get Set..... Pause.

By: Melanie Moore

Here we are at the start of the Christmas season! Thanksgiving has passed, and we made it through Black Friday hopefully unscathed. Now, the hustle and bustle of Christmas time is upon us. The stores are blaring Christmas music through the speakers, ads shout at us to "Hurry! Don't miss out!", and we may even feel the pressure of comparison to the Christmas scenes we see on social media. There's no time to lose! 

On your mark....

Get Set....

Pause.

That's right. Just pause.

As the world jumps into overdrive around us, we may be tempted to join in and run for all we're worth! We may be distracted by the crowds, lights, and sounds so much that we forget about how we want to enjoy and savor this season. We may even busy ourselves so very much that the season passes by us in a flash, and we look around and wonder how in the world we missed the whole thing?!

At the start of this season, we are given a beautiful opportunity to open this holy month in the way God would want us to, but in order to know how to do that, we need to pause before Him and ask.

Lord, how do you want me to spend Christmas? What are the ways I can honor you during this time? How could my actions be a response to the love you have placed within my heart? Where are the needs around me that I could be used as an instrument of your love to others?

Pause, friends.

Before the race, let your heart simply sit quietly and reflect upon God's goodness in sending us his son. Don't get caught up in the chaos and stress of the month. Sure, we will all have lots of things going on and that will fill our calendars. However, the choice for stillness within our hearts at the beginning of this time is up to us. It's a precious time and opportunity to reflect, worship, and prepare our hearts for the celebration of our Messiah.

Will you join me in pausing today?