The Privilege of Christmas

December really snuck up on us this year, didn’t it? I feel like I say that every year. Every year it feels it’s spinning a little faster than normal. Christmas is here, gone, and back again. I am startled by its abruptness every time. And I get sucked into the hurriedness, the busyness, the rushing around.
In the rush to buy the gifts and deck the halls and log the yule and hark the heralds, I always seem to forget what all the rushing around is really for. And I just need to slow down and smile. Because seriously, what an amazing thing we have in Christmas. An entire season dedicated to celebrating the sacrificial love and humility of God made human, to savoring memory and experience, to holding the people that love us closer than usual…wow. And I bulldoze right over it. I get cynical and irritated and self-righteous and I totally miss the big privilege of celebrating Christmas.



So this Christmas, I'm savoring the privilege of standing in long lines (more time to make new friends!), of singing Christmas carols (even the annoyingly bad covers of "Happy Xmas, War is Over"), of giving gifts, of hugging my friends a little tighter than necessary, of playing in the snow (and driving safely in it, too), and of knowing first-hand the great mercy of God.

What makes you excited for Christmas?

love, elizabeth

Trademark

Yesterday I went to Wal*Mart. ("Wow, Elizabeth. I can already tell this is going to be a super interesting post! Glad I took the time to read it.") Have had my share of awful retail experiences (both as a customer and employee) and one of them involves the standing-in-lines-thing. People really, really hate to wait in lines. And the longer they stand, the meaner they get. On an impulse yesterday, I asked the woman behind me, who only had a couple things in her hands if she wanted to go in front of me.

Picture credit

It's not the fact that she accepted it the offer that threw me. It's how completely shocked she was that I offered. "Wow, that's so nice," she said. "Nice is rare."


Okay, the point of this post is NOT what a great person I am for letting someone else cut me in line. Because, I am ashamed to say, I am more often than not the cranky girl in line who doesn't want anyone to think they can push me around. I have rights, I think. I'm in a hurry.


But then yesterday, a totally impulsive act made a complete stranger smile. I mean really, really smile. She grinned through her entire transaction and then thanked me again on her way out. And I was really humbled because I realized it is so easy to make someone's day and it's even easier to ruin it.


And I thought about how many opportunities I've had to make someone's day great...how many times have I passed that up? How many times have I been short with a waiter or testy with a cashier or cut someone off in traffic? I can't even count.


On the other hand, I have these lovely little stories about this-one-time-i-bought-a-newspaper-from-a-homeless-man or how-i-let-some-stranger-cut-me-in-line. I can remember those stories. Why? Because they're remarkable.


Here's the thing, though. I don't want my kindness to be remarkable. It should be everyday, average, ordinary, run-of-the-mill. I want kindness to be my trademark.

Source: elementsofstyleblog.com via Kyle on Pinterest

So that's my Wednesday challenge to myself.  I'm going to be looking for chances to make someone's day! What about you? What are you challenging yourself to do this week?

love, elizabeth

PS: Countdown continues...only SIX more posts until the giveaway!! It's another hand-picked gift...maybe I'll start giving clues...