The holidays (holy-days) bring up all kinds of emotions. For some, loneliness.
For others, great memories. For still others, stress. As I write, I’m praying that you and I will find the joy and holiness of the season.
For me, that means keeping things simple.

Years ago I read Richard Foster’s Freedom of Simplicity: Finding Harmony in a Complex World, then checked it off my long to-do list. I wasn’t ready for simplicity.
I didn’t understand it. I found it terribly illusive, unproductive, and unsatisfying.

Now busy-ness, that was a different story!

But I’m finding that the older I get, the more I like simplicity. I give myself permission to do a few tasks a day rather than a hundred! I get the fact that I’m a human being more than a human doing (well, most of the time). I’m finding joy and “enough-ness” in planting the garden, going for a run, trading puns with my kids on Facebook, sitting on a rock to think. In fact, those have become choice times rather than squeezed-in times.

I can listen to my grandkids better if I’m not multi-tasking. I can stop to pray for a friend if I’m not in a frenzy of activity.

I can remember Jesus’ words to Martha: “Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”
(Luke 10:38–42).

If Jesus came to my home for Christmas dinner, would I sit at his feet and listen to him or would I fret over the meal? I’m guessing he would prefer the “undistracted me”
and great chat over the perfect dinner. The good part.

May we seek…and find…the good part this holiday season.