It’s Easy To Get Wrapped Up by the Rev. Dr. Christopher D. Girata
As December kicks off, I bet many of you are already deep into Christmas plans. I know that we’ve been talking about gift ideas in my house since October, making lists to source the right gifts from the right places, especially if we can find them on sale. With all the pressures of Christmas — with gifts, travel, and more — I think it’s very appropriate to stop and take a moment to pause and remember what this season is all about.
When asked what the Christmas season is all about, there’s an easy answer that a religious person like me should always give: Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus. There are obvious theological dynamics to that moment that are unnecessary to unpack here. Suffice it to say, Christmas has been rooted in religiosity for centuries, and although many readers may offer that answer, I dare say that most people don’t keep the religious significance in mind most of the season.
Instead, it’s easy to get wrapped up (no pun intended) in the pressure of the season to perform well, to relate well, or to have the very best experience possible. It’s all so much! So, let’s take a moment, here together, to center ourselves on what is most important about Christmas.
The Christmas season is centered on a very simple idea: We are loved.
Love is a powerful sentiment. There are multiple ways to understand love, including some of the most common forms such as friendly love (think fraternal and sororal) and romantic love. Yet Christmas goes beyond those two common understandings of love and is rooted firmly in self-sacrificial, generous, grace-filled, and unconditional love. The love we celebrate at Christmas is meant to transcend limits and boundaries, to heal brokenness, and to point to divine hope.
With that in mind, let’s take a break and take a deep breath. Breathing is key to centering the mind, and although it can seem like a waste of time, I ask you to just roll with me for a moment. Close your eyes, breathe deeply and exhale slowly. Repeat that deep breathing three times, and each time allow your mind to focus on the idea of love that transcends the limits of our world. Each time you breathe in and out, feel yourself breathing in the grace and hope of what makes you most deeply happy and joyful. Now open your eyes and feel the relief of deep breathing.
Over the next few weeks, we will each be pulled in countless directions with unreasonable expectations put upon us. Although that’s a normative part of the holiday season, we don’t have to allow ourselves to lose our rootedness and get swept away. Instead, take time now to drop an anchor in a safe mental and emotional place where you can keep yourself rooted.
Investing in this kind of thoughtfulness will allow you to let the messiness of the holiday slide right off and keep you focused on seeing the good around you. Gratitude helps us ground ourselves and stay positive day in and day out. Loving ourselves enough to stay focused on gratitude is one of the greatest gifts we can give.
**This article was written by the Rev. Dr. Christopher D. Girata and was featured in the Katy Trail Weekly on December 4, 2024.