Whole for the Holidays

It’s mid-November and you can feel the buzz of premature Christmas cheer in the air. I know that for some, November first marks the beginning of the “holiday” season, but personally, I feel like we should give Thanksgiving its due time and hold off on the Christmas celebrations until December. An even more serious believer in the “wait till December” method is my husband Eddie, who, when faced with Christmas decorations or holiday music in November, will often respond with an audible “Aw, no, too early!”

Whether you prefer to begin your Christmas celebrations early or not, I think we can all agree that our consumerist culture is one of the greatest contributors to the “Christmas starts the day after Halloween” trend. A holiday like Thanksgiving, which focuses on gratitude and spending restful time with family is not nearly as profitable as one that has come to center around gift giving, a multitude of decorations, festive clothing (I don’t see any families posting photos in their matching Thanksgiving pajamas), and holiday parties all month long. There’s just not as much to sell for Thanksgiving besides food. But then comes black Friday and Cyber Monday…so much for that….

My intention in writing this post is not to make anyone feel bad about their choice of when to start celebrating the holidays. Sometimes we just want a little more holiday cheer in our lives, and I can absolutely understand that. My challenge to all of you however, regardless of when you begin your holiday celebrations, is to pause, step back, and take a look at how consumerist culture may be distracting you from living out your truest values. For me, some of those values include family, community, caring for others, and nurturing my relationship with God. For you, those values may be different, but regardless, I encourage you to take some time to think about what you value most and to try to form your life around those values, rather than the buzz of social media, the siren call of online shopping, or the allure of the American dream. Whatever you put into your mind is what will come out in your life. Fill your mind with advertisements and you will want to buy things. Spend hours on social media fixating on everyone’s best outfits, vacations, and accomplishments, and you will constantly be comparing yourself to others.

I recently made the decision to take several apps off of my phone that I felt were contributing to an underlying sense of anxiety and discontent in my life. Among these were facebook, instagram, and my budgeting app. I can still check all of these things on my home computer or tablet, but I am refusing to let social media and worries about money be attached to my hip. Since I got rid of those apps, I am finding myself more content, less worried, and more peaceful. However, I would be remiss to imply that peace can come simply from living a more contemplative lifestyle. As a Christian, I believe that all peace comes from the Prince of Peace, Jesus. And as much as I love to bake cookies, decorate the tree, and put up Christmas lights, I strive for my focus to remain on my faith rather than simply festivity for the sake of festivity.

As we head into the holiday season of Thanksgiving and Christmas, I am choosing to focus on learning to live like Jesus. This is a life-long apprenticeship and something that I do not claim to be an expert in. This November, I have been re-reading the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and I find myself drawn to Jesus’ wisdom, his love for the poor and poor in spirit, his inclusion of the outcast and the foreigner, and his unwavering focus on speaking the truth of God.

As Thanksgiving approaches, what are some ways you plan to slow down and focus on living out your values? I would love to hear from you in the comments.