The Christmas season perhaps is the busiest time of year, not solely because of the holiday, but because work is coming to a wrap up for the year, people are trying to get together for events, and shopping lists are for more than just groceries.
With so much to do it can be easy to slump into merely getting through the season, but perhaps this year could be different.
Perhaps the greatest present you can give others and yourself is to simply be fully present.
1. Remove Distractions
So much battles for our attention, phones, texts, notifications, and even our wandering thoughts. Make the conscious decision to organize your time in advance for each of these distractions.
If you are going to have specific time with someone, turn off your phone while you are with them. This will help them feel important, and the ring of your phone will not cause a tug of war with the person you are spending time with.
Take note of other physical distractions and make provisions ahead of time so that your time will not be divided. Even if that means taking the initiative to get a baby or pet sitter, or to let your job know you will be unavailable for a few hours.
Also, make the decision to mentally compartmentalize your focus. This can be hard, but dwell upon the concept Paul encourages in 2 Corinthians 10:5 to take every thought captive.
Paul references this technique in the way of bringing thoughts into proper placement with Christ, but in the same fashion we can take the wandering thoughts of to-do lists or stresses and not allow them to steal our concentration.
This fosters boundaries within our own conscience so that we are not robbed of the present when we are with others, but also in that we are not giving power to things that do not need the spotlight in that moment. Keeping distractions and unneeded mental clutter at bay in the moment will grant access to greater attention.
2. Be Intentional with Making Plans
Events, festivals, markets, and parties can easily fill up calendars. Although these are all exciting opportunities, if there is little room between events you may find yourself getting ready for the next experience while still at the first.
Make the effort to be intentional with how you spend your time specifically this Christmas. Consider years past and the most cherished of memories that you do not want to miss, and add one or two new ones with the ability to have breathing room between events.
This will allow you to give your best self and full attention at the events, and not feel your social battery running on low or empty. It also assists with the flow of managing events, work, and everything else. Be sure to intentionally set aside time with specific people, such as a lunch with a parent, or morning coffee with a significant other.
Group events are a blessing, but there is something special about having one on one time with a dear one or a good friend. Reconnect with your loved ones and give your best self, not your stretched self.
Photo Credit: ©Piotr Wójcik
3. Consider Others
Part of being present is being aware as well. This awareness comes from exercising empathy, kindness, and consideration for those around you. The holidays can prove a challenging time for many, for in many cases they are a reminder of money struggles, missing loved ones who have passed away, or reminders of being single.
Take into consideration that for the person you are sharing time with, even in a passing or quick interaction, being aware of their feelings, life status, or how this year has played out is imperative to helping them feel valued, seen, and loved.
Empathy is placing yourself in another’s shoes, and it is something the world desperately needs more of. For it is when we exercise empathy and we take into account how world events or other factors in someone’s life may feel that we can come alongside them to help them know they are understood.
This does not mean exposing aspects of their lives that they may feel sensitive about, but not glossing over them either and being insensitive. Be present and help encourage them with good things that have occurred this year in their story, or speak words to boost them up.
God may just have you in their path this Christmas to help share His love and encouragement over them as they navigate this chapter in their lives. Help them see the gold in their story by loving them presently this Christmas.
4. Be Present with God
Most important for being present this Christmas is recalling the truest reason for the season: Christ.
Be present before God this Christmas, and give Him the best of your time, efforts, and heart. This could come from devotionals through reading of the Gospels or a Christ-centered daily reading for Christmas or Advent.
There are many great possibilities for this that can guide each day in December back to the Nativity story and the true reason this time of year is important. Make it a commitment to daily spend time reading or listening to these encouragements to be filled with more knowledge in head and heart of His intention for such a season as this.
Be still before the Lord in prayer, and be present. Take captive again those distracting or random thoughts and bring them into correct placement so that you can hear more clearly His still small voice, or feel His presence around you without distraction.
Give Him the best of your time, not the leftovers. God can work powerfully through this and when you find alignment with God and His Spirit, it will be wondrous what He will reveal to you through the season, through interactions with others, and the beauty of what He has planned for your life in this moment.
5. Soak in the Moment
Enjoy these moments, because although there will be Christmases in years to come, this Christmas will only ever be here once. Soak in these precious moments, and allow them to course as they should.
As much as it is lovely to see the perfect gingerbread house or the flawless glimmering tree in a movie, it should not be the standard for us to tirelessly find ourselves striving to manufacture.
Allow candid moments to naturally occur and authentically play out, for some of the best memories of all come from life’s unexpected adventures. Don’t stress if you burn the turkey, for perhaps you will replace it with something that will become a staple tradition for years to come.
Be present in this present day and all that may unwrap, and know even the first Christmas wasn’t picture perfect. The first Christmas was in fact two young adults bringing the Savior into the world in a stable with animals. Yet nothing more glorious has ever occurred in the world than the arrival of Love in the flesh, just as God planned.
God may have planned for you the type of Christmas that is not Instagram picture seamless, but all the more genuine and better. Don’t manufacture memories, allow memories to be born through surprise and the unexpected.
So much fights to take our thoughts, actions, and moments, but we can choose to do all we can to be present this Christmas.
This can come through making decisions beforehand, or implementing changes in the course of the day to really work against distractions. Focusing on the person or event in front of us, being sensitive to what is happening in the lives around us, and taking the spotlight off the things that don’t matter as much as they should can help us really embrace the present day and enjoy it to the fullest.
Tomorrow’s memories are being walked out today, and giving your heart to the moment will harvest enchanting results.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/nortonrsx
Cally Logan is an author and US History teacher from Richmond, Virginia. Her works have been featured on "The 700 Club Interactive," “Jesus Calling Blog,” and “Coffee and Bible Time,” among several notable outlets. She served as a mentor for young women for several years and enjoys challenging women to develop deeper relationships with God and to live fearlessly and authentically. She received her B.A. Degree from Regent University. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time in nature, having genuine chats over coffee, and woodworking. Her new book, The Wallflower That Bloomed, is available everywhere now. Connect with Cally: @CallyLogan Instagram CallyLogan.com
