Holiday Blues? Already?

'Twas the Night Before Christmas...All was calm on that silent night.

The last present has been unwrapped.  The trash has been taken out.  Recipes on what to do with leftover ham have been downloaded.  Christmas carols playlists have been stored.  Christmas movie DVD collections have been put away.  Christmas decorations are starting to look irritating.  Extra rolls around the waist have made their appearance.  Post-holiday blues can already be seen in the horizon...

What do we have to look forward to now?

I know...New Years Eve is still to come...but that is always a bittersweet night.  A year closing by and the unknowns of another lurking in...I don't really want to think about it yet.

Sigh...

I think this time in between, while we're still in a daze, is the perfect opportunity to just take a moment to sit still and contemplate.  I know, in the busyness of our lives, taking a moment to just "be" might seem incoherent and wasteful.  However, we are called to do just that.  There are several places in the Bible where the command is clear.  See Psalm 37: 7a for instance:

Be still before the Lord

and wait patiently for him;

Two concepts that are super difficult for me:  to be still and to wait.  Mercy!  I don't know how to do either of them.  Being still for me is a recipe for disaster.  My body might look "still," my mind, however, can never quiet down.  At least, when my body is busy, my mind becomes distracted on trying to coordinate what my body is doing.  When my body is still, though...my mind is free to roam around corners that are best left unexplored.  Even my thyroid doctor told me at the beginning of my journey:  "You are one of those women who needs to work outside the house."

And...even though often I fantasize about quitting my job...I must agree with her.

Then, there's that "waiting" bit.  Mercy, mercy!  I'm like a toddler in that department...or like Dylan, who is worst than a toddler when it comes to waiting.  Everything has to be now!  "Just wait, Dylan! Wait one second!" Is the phrase heard all around our house everyday, every hour.  I feel like a hypocrite saying it to him since I hate waiting as much as he does.  I'm just a bit better at pretending...sigh...

My point is...maybe...this time between Christmas and New Years is yet another gift given to us by Our Lord and Savior so people like me can be intentional about being still ... quieting our soul ... waiting in His presence and ... listening to His still, small voice ...

I pray that instead of a post-holiday blues, we can see different hues while we enjoy moments sitting quietly by the feet of Jesus...trusting He fights our battles...knowing He is our Rock!  Amen!