As the calendar turns to November, the holiday season is only weeks away. Christmas commercials started airing last month. A television network began showing Christmas movies around the clock already. I've even seen a few Thanksgiving commercials. A good friend of mine has been listening to his Christmas playlist for a couple of months.
Not me. I am a traditionalist who does not want to think about Christmas until after Thanksgiving. I look forward to the first time we will have all four sons and daughter in law under our roof that fourth Thursday in November. We will watch some football, eat a feast, share around the table what we are thankful for and take our Christmas card picture. Either that evening or the next morning, we will decorate.
I always dread this time of year. I'm no scrooge. Between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day the working world slows down and in some cases even comes to a halt. What God has called me to do does not come to a halt because of the holidays. I have two ambitious goals to complete by the end of the year. To finish reading through the Bible. I have a long way to go to complete that task. I also set a personal deadline to complete the rough draft on my latest book. I just finished the third chapter and have a long way to go. There will be little slowing down for me.
I will pause long enough to enjoy my family, and to truly give thanks for what God is doing for Brenda and I. I will celebrate His blessings. I will exult in the birth of Jesus, and once again be captured by the majesty and mystery of the Messiah's birth.
I will also keep my nose to the grindstone and not use the holidays as an excuse to be apathetic. I read this morning from Ps 90:12 to number our days so as to present to God a heart of wisdom. I interpret that to mean make those days count. We only get a certain number of them. I do not want to squander them on things that will not matter. My favorite quote outside the Bible is from C.T. Studd. He said, "Tis only one life to live and twill soon be past. Only what is done for Christ will last." I want that to propel me into the holidays and past. To let that fuel ignite passion to do what I can while I can until my last breath. I hope you too will number your days even with the holidays coming.
