Countdown to Christmas 2024…Day 14

Ten days. 

We have ten days until Christmas Eve.

My heart accelerates a tad even as I type those words and that is the thing I want to talk about with you today. 

There is a certain level of stress that comes with the holidays. We all know this as we try to cram so many extra things into lives that are already pretty booked up most weeks. 

It’s not like we had a ton of extra time on hand and were looking for some things to fill the hours. It’s not like we had a nice empty space in the living room just waiting for a full size tree to fill in the corner of the living room. 

Don’t misunderstand, I do love Christmas and all that goes with it. But I also have to recognize the signs of triggers to my tendency towards anxiety producing reactions to too much stimulation. 

An example would be something that occurred last Sunday. I shared that Sarah came up from St. Louis to have lunch and attend the Nutcracker with Rachel, Caroline and me. It was planned back in the fall and I have looked forward to it so much. We enjoyed every moment. 

However; as we walked into the lobby of the auditorium, there were so many people milling about. The air of excitement was palpable as doting family and friends carried large bouquets and conferred on tickets and such. 

I not only absorbed all that was going on, I also did a flash forward to this weekend when we will be doing the same for Caroline. Her fan club will be gathering in seats that Rachel had to basically camp out for to get purchased. 

We will crane our necks to try and see her on the stage and we will stand in a mass of other people with our own bouquets. She will be a bundle of adrenaline as she accepts our outpouring of praise. She will absolutely glow as she poses with each group for a photo. 

And for those of us who are wired to feel all the feelings for ourselves and everyone around us, it can be daunting. While others can just sail through it with their own emotions in tact, I am speaking to those who are battling a fight or flight response in the midst of large crowds and big moments. 

The holidays are full of these. 

Parties, family gatherings, church events, concerts, programs, shows…all of it. We who are labeled “empaths” have to take a lot of deep breaths, practice centering and carve out niches where all is calm and quiet. 

So if you relate to anything I said, I see you. 

There is nothing wrong with you. 

God wired you to notice things deeply.

You are the one who sees the downcast face of the losing opponent. 

You are the one who is so grateful for all you have been given, and yet weep for the ones who are without the same blessing. 

You are the one who suffers through small talk, and longs for deeper connection. 

You are here for a reason. 

Let your heart rest in the peace of Christ and turn your anxious thoughts to prayers. 

He sees you and He made you beautifully just the way you are.