This is a guest post by Rachel Wojnarowski. I know it will bless you today, particularly as we careen toward Christmas.

…

The smell of hot cocoa and burnt sugar with a twist of mint wafts through the air as the kitchen fills with the scents of Christmas.

Cinnamon bears and gingerbread men line the cooling racks. They eagerly await for their turn to be packaged in gift bundles for the enjoyment of teachers, mailmen, and military personnel. (Oops, that one with the broken arm HAS to be eaten right away. We can’t give a broken gift!)

A shoebox lies in one corner of the room. Half- filled with personal care items, candy, and other goodies.

Werther’s, Mentos, Skittles, Santa’s book of Lifesavers. No chocolate (would melt for sure.)

My eyes seem to continually be scanning the room; there is much to be done!

The to-do list- check.

The shopping list- check.

The cleaning list- check.

The gift list-check.

And last but not least, the I-can’t-think-of-any-other-list-to-put-it-on list- check.

The lists… they stare up from the kitchen counter, seeming to demand attention in unified chorus. Calling to be completed. Finished. Marked off.

Christmas can appear, well, overwhelming. We shop and we buy. We surf and we read. Searching for the most ideal gifts for our friends and loved ones, we keep our eyes peeled for the best deal. Every penny is spent carefully. Every decision is weighed fully.

Somewhere, perhaps in the tiniest corner of our brain, a flag is rising a little higher each day. A piece of our heart is on the verge of screaming in order to be heard, but instead a soft voice whispers:

“Dear One, I’m so glad you want to serve your family. That you love to create a beautiful environment for them to enjoy. That you work hard to preserve memories for the future and that you create traditions that will live with your children for decades.

But focus on what Christmas is about.

Celebrating the love I brought to this earth from the Father.

The joy He wants you to have in your relationship with Him.

The peace He provides in the midst of the storm.

Christmas encompasses many gifts, but the best gift you can share for Christmas? Me.”

As you prepare for the season with your whole heart, may you remember

to talk to your Father,

to praise Him continually,

to pray without ceasing

and to worship Him in Spirit.

And the item on the Ultimate Christmas To-Do List?

To share His love.