December 13. It’s hard to believe there are still twelve days until Christmas. This year is so different for me. It isn’t just mailing the cards early. Or decorating the tree a couple of weeks ago. Or even the gifts that I wrapped today. It is that I had time to do those things peacefully—not rushing around, stressed at the last minute—and that now I can enjoy them. So many years, I wrapped gifts into the wee hours of Christmas Eve. The paper would literally be on the gifts for a few hours before it would be crumpled into a trash bag.

None of this is intended to be judgment or boasting or any kind of implication that sending cards or wrapping gifts at the last minute is bad. Sometimes I enjoyed the last minute scurry to complete holiday preparations. But the last few years, I haven’t. I always felt buried under the mountain of tasks and because I scrambled around at the last minute, Christmas itself seemed to go so fast. Then I felt discouraged when it ended.

As I think about this year’s Advent journey so far, it is a noticeable difference from years past. I started earlier, made a detailed plan, and now it is unfolding at a manageable pace that I am actually enjoying!

I think a lot of it is that our December schedule this year is so much saner. Previous years, we have had co-op until the week before Christmas, participated in a big Christmas championship swim meet, and maintained our usual school load and activities with the additional parties, programs, and other festivities of the season.

Our new homeschool group doesn’t meet in December. That has been amazingly wonderful! I gain a whole day of my week, and the kids have a lighter workload for the month, allowing time for the crafts and devotionals I wanted to do—and am actually doing! This is big! I rarely follow through on my grand plans. I hate to admit that, but it is true!

I miss the Christmas Champs swim meet because it was always fun, but I gained a whole weekend in December without it. And saying “Yes” to fewer festivities has taken a little willpower, but the benefits have been great.

All of this reminds me of a book I read almost ten years ago—Margin by Richard Swenson. It made such an impact on me. It resulted in a paradigm shift that I am only recently starting to live out. The concept is simple—leaving margin in all areas of our life (finances, time, living environment, relationships, etc.) reduces stress, increases productivity, and produces much more peace in our lives.

Margin is white space. Just like the way we were taught to write in school—keeping our words inside the red lines on the sides of the paper. In life, it means being sure not to spend every penny we earn but instead leaving a buffer for unexpected opportunities or emergencies. In time, it means leaving early enough to allow for traffic or to catch every stoplight on your route. In scheduling, it means saying “Yes” to fewer things, so you can really focus on and enjoy the things you do instead of cramming so much into your days that everything blurs together.

One of my favorite Scriptures is Psalm 31:14-15a: “But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hand.” The verses that precede those are all about seeking refuge. The Psalmist refers to those who look to worthless idols, to affliction and distress, and to a life of sorrow and years spent sighing. I can relate to those things. That is what life feels like when it is too full and out of control. But when I look to God and trust Him to help me make decisions, I avoid all of the enemies that try to rob me of my peace.

Sometimes we can’t have margin. An illness, injury, or need arises that stretches us to the limit. That’s the point though. When we live our “routine lives” with margin, we are strong enough to endure the trials that come our way—and to help others when they face unexpected trials. We don’t go from empty to emptier but from full to empty for a time and then, hopefully, we can recover and refill again. And God meets us in those situations, provides for us through others, and teaches us through them. But when our “ordinary,” everyday lives are characterized by frazzled, rushing around, we end up missing out on things like rest, reflection, and quality time with loved ones. Satan loves our busyness, and I think God just stands by watching and wondering when we will realize that we have filled our lives with everything but Him.

Lord, Thank you that so far this Advent season feels noticeably different from years past. I appreciate the decisions you led us to earlier in the year that have resulted in more margin in our December than I think we have ever had before. I am so grateful that you called me to these daily reflections and that I am actually finding the time to follow through with them. Please keep reminding me of the seemingly simple things that can make a huge difference in how peaceful life feels. In the name of the Prince of Peace I pray, Amen.

“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12)