Boy, Do I Ever Need A NAP!

Let’s see … I have carpets to shampoo, bathrooms to scour and disinfect; the dusting and vacuuming to be done; mop kitchen and bathroom floors. Wash and repaint the baseboards in the living room and family room. Go to that specialty store for the magic ingredient for the best gravy recipe in the world. Plan a sit down dinner for 22, make a shopping list and battle the pre-holiday crowds at the grocery store; launder and iron three tablecloths and all the linen napkins. Polish the good silver; Google how to dissolve calcium buildup from the toilet bowl, and oh yeah … don’t forget to lose 30 pounds so all the old aunts won’t sit around gossiping about how I’ve officially become a member of the Boy has she ever let herself go club.

OMG, how in the world am I going to get all of this done in six days?

This is a small sample of my “TO DO” list this past week when I found out days before Thanksgiving that my husband and I would be hosting the family gathering.

Each day my list grew even before I’d completed the previous day’s task. With each new entry on my impossible to complete list, (unless you’re a bona fide Super Woman), I could feel my stress levels rising along with my blood pressure.

This time of year many of us feel the added anxiety and pressure of holiday stress. The harsh reality of tough economic times, the uncertainty of the future and the bombardment of pre-Black Friday sales and deals subliminally wearing us down starting before Halloween and it’s easy to feel that unwanted holiday pressure. Oh wait – maybe that’s just me!

How could December practically be upon us again and so soon? Didn’t we just put away all those Christmas decorations and take down the tree only recently?

This time of year it’s so easy to forget that Thanksgiving and Christmas are supposed be relaxing and fun-filled times that create lasting memories that will keep us warm in our old age. But how is that possible if we’re so stressed out that all we want to do is curse the holidays, our families, our checkbooks and all the stuff that goes with this time of the year?

My sure fire recipe for success is simple … take frequent and regular NAPs.

Pastor Brian preached a timely sermon earlier this month about the importance of having a regular NAP: a Non-Anxious Presence in our lives when we get bound up in worry and fear.

When I worry about Christmas coming and my unemployment expiring next month, I need a NAP. When I wonder how I’m going to get all the cleaning, shopping and decorating done, I need a NAP. When I stress out over all the social and/or volunteer commitments I have, I need a NAP. Whenever anything threatens to steal my peace – I NEED A NAP!

Don’t let the enemy steal your joy during the holidays. Do you want to de-stress? Add a NON-ANXIOUS PRESENCE to your daily schedule to guarantee peace in your life. And remember – don’t be stingy, share a NAP with friends and strangers alike!

Blessings in Christ,
Kathy