Just think about what you're saying, please.

It is time to talk about a pet peeve. I want to preface this by saying that I love Christmas and all things Christmas. Yes, I know it can be a very busy time. I know that some people spend too much money. I know that sometimes the expectations that people have are not met so they are disappointed and disillusioned. I recognize ALL of that.

Here's my beef: I just shudder when I hear people say "I CAN'T WAIT TIL CHRISTMAS IS OVER!" Am I the only one who cringes when they hear this? Do these people think about what they are saying? Do they really mean they can't wait until we stop honoring and celebrating our Savior's birth? Are they that sick of the idea of being generous and giving and loving? Is being with family and friends that painful? Have they forgotten what it was to be a child and LIVE 364 days a year just for Christmas Day?

I'm just asking.

If you are one of those people, maybe it's time for you to step away from your baking and shopping and planning and going and doing and just BE STILL AND KNOW THAT HE IS GOD.

Let me share something with you from John J. Parsons: "Be still comes from the Hiphil stem of the verb rapha (meaning to be weak, to let go, to release) which might better be translated as "cause yourselves to let go" or "let yourselves become weak". But to what end are we to "be still" or "let go" or "surrender" or even "die to ourselves"? We "let go" in order to objectively know the saving power of God in our lives. We give up trusting in ourselves and our own designs in order to experience the glory of God's all-sufficiency. When we confess the truth about who we really are-weak, feeble, ineffectual-we can surrender our desire to control outcomes and entrust the care of the world to God."

Maybe the reason you are ready for Christmas to be over is because you think it is up to you to make Christmas be everything for everyone. Stop trying. Rest. Be still. Know that He is God.