Producing Good Fruit During the Holidays
Guest Post by Stephen Robinson
The Holiday Season is upon us. For many, this time of year is filled with fond memories of time spent with family and friends, exchanging gifts, and of course, delicious food.
Holidays also include extra stresses that “bump” us. Shopping, house decorating, food preparation, overeating, busy schedules, extra traffic, and crowded stores. When my emotional tank is running on empty, it’s not always good fruit that spills out when I get “bumped” by the rush of the season. I hope you’ll read on as I share some ways to keep my tank full and help me cope with the stress of the season.
A Christmas picture circa 2008 of our three daughters…Laney, Anaya and Kiana
I will never forget the year Jamara and I left our daughters with a friend as we raced to Walmart on Christmas Eve to pick up their Christmas gifts. We had put the gifts on lay-away, only to find out we missed our pick-up window, and all of our items had been put back on the floor. Our hearts sank as we looked at each other at 10:30 on Christmas Eve. We were without any presents for our sweet daughters! The words I blurted out would not have been considered “good fruit.” Nowadays, lay-away has been replaced with “Buy Now Pay Later” online shopping models. Even this improvement can create stress by enticing us to overextend during the Christmas season. The joy of gift-giving can create stress-filled obligations.
How do we handle stress when the holiday season “bumps” us? What is our response when we’re cut off in traffic, or someone comes in hot to take that parking spot we saw from the moment we pulled into the mall? How do we control blurted-out words that don’t reflect “good fruit?”
The words of James 1:10 challenge me, “Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” Perhaps you are more disciplined than I and can keep your cool and control your tongue, but let’s assume that at least once in a while, you have similar tendencies to me!
What comes out of our mouth or runs through our mind when we're "bumped?” Is it good fruit—an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, or do our reactions reflect a life that’s running on thin margins? Does our short fuse and quick temper create a stark contrast to “good fruit” of thanksgiving, love, peace, joy, and patience?
If, like me, you find yourself running on fumes, I would like to humbly suggest a few ways to help us recharge and re-center our focus this holiday season.
Prioritize time in the Word of God - I am a morning person and look forward to my first cup of coffee and my quiet time. A few minutes of devotional time in the morning often changes the direction of my entire day.
Get more sleep - for some this is easier said than done, but thanks to Daylight Savings Time, it feels like it’s often dark before I even think about making dinner, and it’s easier to discipline my sleep routine.
Make time for Sabbath rest - My hectic schedule seems to be a sign of how badly I need to establish the spiritual discipline of Sabbath. Setting aside one full Sabbath day weekly sounds wonderful. I can imagine a relaxing day free of chores or the distraction of my phone, but the truth is that I’ve yet to make it 6 hours. Like Sue often says, spiritual formation is a progressive process, and it is better to grow spiritually as I can, not as I cannot. I will keep working on this spiritual practice.
Wherever you are on your faith journey, I believe caring for your soul is one the greatest pursuits, and at least for me, one that can easily be excused away. This holiday season, I pray you take time to love those around you better by first taking time to care for yourself, physically, relationally, financially, and spiritually.
Happy Thanksgiving to each one of you!