Three days.
Only three more days to finish the shopping, wrapping, baking, card sending… the rushing… the crafting of Christmas, the creating of memories.
What if we look at our list of unfinished projects and unchecked to-dos and determine how many could actually fall off the list? What if we reprioritize these final days of Advent away from the rush and, instead, toward the still? Jesus came to give us peace, after all. What if we chase after that peace with fresh eyes and hearts bent toward Him?
Our little crew escaped to the woods for a couple of nights to slow down together. Here, we wake to a quiet, gentler pace inviting us to linger on the back porch simply to watch the day awaken. We walk along deserted dirt roads, shrouded in tree cover and experience the peace that accompanies unplugging from the frantic pace of our culture.
What a gift this little place has become for our family. We spent three years building it in the nooks and crannies and white spaces of our days. We dreamt big dreams at the water’s edge and we have prayed that these four walls would be a refuge of peace and generous hospitality for all who enter.
As we walk these last days toward Christmas, we knew the only way to truly unplug would be to get away from the pull to do more and buy more. Here, we can focus on puzzles and morning pancakes. We can sit before the roaring fire and be still. We can walk along the water’s edge and skip rocks across the still surface of the lake. We can challenge one another to yet another game of Connect 4 and eat one more bowl of freshly popped popcorn. Here, we make memories that aren’t forced or crafted.
I really and truly can’t think of a better way to spend this last weekend before Christmas.
Wherever this weekend finds you, I hope you can find a few minutes to turn off the scrolling (and unending) list of to-dos in your head and focus on your people.
Merriest of Christmases to you all! ♥️
