Preparations

PREPARATIONS

We are entering a time of the year when the normal hustle and bustle of everyday life is ramped up, or kicked up another notch on the “Rat Race Scale”. People who were already stressed for time suddenly must find more time to do things that they don’t normally do.

It’s the Holiday Season and for most of us it is anything but a holiday. Lest I be accused of being a “Grinch”, let me also say that, even with its extra demands on my time, I still love this season of the year. It is a time when people seem to be a little more cordial and a little friendlier. I have noticed that if you say hello, at least you will get a grunt in return rather than the usual deaf ear. And, you will really get them to speak to you if you get in their way or pick up something that they wanted first.

Everywhere you turn people are making preparations for the time that is surely coming. There is an air of expectancy and for many, it almost seems that their life has taken on a new purpose for a while. They will lay aside a lot of the things that seemed so important just a few weeks ago because now their whole focus is shifted to prepare for the coming of a little, short, red-faced elf that rides around in a red sleigh pulled by 8 tiny reindeer, or 9, depending on which version of the story you want to adhere to.

Christmas is upon us and there are only 18 days left to get out there and fight the traffic, spend your money and get those special gifts for special people so hurry up, so you can wait in lines for hours to get that new Barbie for the little girl in your life, or that X Box Game Console for the teenagers, or whatever it is that is in your list this year.

You will need to check your list, and then check it twice – you have to make sure that no one is left out, no matter if they have been naughty or nice. After all, if you don’t get something for everyone, their feelings might be hurt and then they won’t give you anything next year.

But Wait! That’s not even the tip of the iceberg!

For not only do you have to rearrange your schedule to spend endless hours at the mall or fighting the traffic, but you have to find time to check out the lights that adorn so many homes in our area.

Then you have to sit down long to plan your Christmas dinner and make sure that you have enough food to feed the multitudes. God forbid that anyone would want their 40th cookie or piece of fudge, and find the tray empty. Oh Horror of horrors – uncle Jimmy wanted a 6th piece of lemon pie and it was all gone. I should have bought 13 instead of 12. I just knew that 12 pies was not going to be enough.

Next year that won’t happen. I’ll buy enough for a hundred people and make sure that no one goes hungry. We can always loose that extra 20 pounds that we will gain just by making a New Year’s Resolution to go on an extreme diet that will last about 2 days.

Then there are the preparations for the exchanging of the gifts with the family. Oh what a time that will be. Let’s go buy a few extra gifts to make sure that everyone gets something, after all we might have Jody’s boyfriend, or Luke’s girlfriend and we wouldn’t want them to feel left out. We might have to add a room onto the house to hold the toys our children get - toys that won’t last through Christmas Day and, even if they do, the kids will lose interest in them and go back to playing with sticks and cardboard boxes in less than a week.

Preparations, preparations, preparations – we have to make our preparations – nothing can be left to chance – nothing can be overlooked – no one can be left out – the rest of our year will be ruined if Christmas isn’t absolutely perfect.

My family won’t love me if everything isn’t perfect. My kids will hate me if they don’t have that new hummer under the tree. My wife or my husband will doubt my love if there isn’t a diamond ring, or a new hunting rifle there for them.

What are you waiting for? Why are you still sitting here in this service this morning? Don’t you know there’s only 18 days left to get all this done and more? Don’t you love your family enough? I know that not all of you are prepared!