Christmas Conversation #22: How do you find spiritual refreshment in the midst of an exhausting season?

By Stacey Tuttle

It may be the “hap, happiest time of the year”… but it is also the “biz, busiest time of the year.”  Between holiday parties, last minute shopping, holiday decorating, relatives coming to visit, travelling, cooking, and gift wrapping (just to name a few of the additional activities that find their way onto our to-do list at this time of year)—it’s a wonderful, but utterly exhausting time of year.   

And yet, we are supposed to be focusing on Jesus during this time—one more thing to do for us type A types—and isn’t Jesus all about resting and being still…you know, “His yoke is easy and His burden is light” and all that stuff?  For all you type A types, have you added REST to your to do list?  I promise you, I have actually written that down on my list… many times.  (A little ironic, I know.) 

So, knowing that we are supposed to find rest and refreshment during this time.  And knowing that we NEED to find rest and refreshment during this time (for our sanity, and for the sake of those around us!), how do we do it?

Check out our other Christmas Conversations:

We have 25 different “conversations” going online and we’d love to hear your thoughts!  See the list below and add your two cents when and where you can, and benefit from the collective think tank as you go!

1. How do you keep the spirit of giving in your Cristmas shopping?
2. How do you bring Jesus into your shopping experience?
3. What do you think about Christmas music?
4. What’s the worst Christmas song and why?
5. What’s your best idea for using a Christmas movie to spark a conversation about Christ?
6. What’s the worst Christmas movie and why?
7. What’s the most meaningful Christmas tradition that your family has?
8. How do you get your kids attention (or even your own) off of the gifts you get?
9. How much is too much when it comes to giving your kids gifts for Christmas?
10. What are your favorite service-oriented things to do during Christmas?
11. Is Santa a naughty or nice Christmas tradition and why?
12. What Christmas traditions have you chosen not to follow, and what have you replaced them with?
13. If you’ve chosen to do Santa, how can you use him to point your kids to Jesus?
14. Do lighting displays add to or detract from the real meaning of Christmas?
15. What kinds of gifts can you give to non-Christian friends that make Jesus attractive?
16. What are your best ideas for using Christmas to spur conversations about Jesus?
17. Happy Holidays vs. Merry Christmas – Does it really matter?
18. Should we boycott stores based on Christian principles during the Holidays?
19. How do you deal with the Grinches in your life this Christmas?
20. How do you deal with Christmas as a joyous family time when family is hard? 
21. What do you know about the Biblical concept of hospitality and how do you apply that during the Christmas season?
22. How do you find spiritual refreshment in the midst of an exhausting season?
23. When do the excesses of Christmas cross the line from communicating the lavishness of God’s love for us to fostering excess, greed and pride?
24. How do you respond to feeling like someone else “does Christmas better” than you?
25. What is the most meaningful Christmas memory you have?