Ep. 14 Make Room for the Quieter Voices of Christmas

Does December overwhelm you? Does it get more chaotic than quiet, leaving you exhausted and desperate for December 26^th? Then perhaps it’s time to make room for the quieter voices of Christmas.

It’s barely mid-November, and twinkle lights and brown paper packages tied up with string are bursting at the seams of every store entrance and online business. It’s unavoidable. December’s glitter is upon us.

Last December, God invited me on a differently-paced journey toward Christmas. Would it be the rush of the crowd or the quieting walk toward the Bethlehem Star and the Christ of Christmas?

I always want that serene afterglow of Christmas. You know, the beauty of leaning into the wonder of Jesus’ birth and the joy of time together. But like grace, such serenity is sometimes hard to come by.

We must be willing to lay aside our old way of doing things in order to walk into a new way.

A week before Christmas last year, I brazenly asked one of our sons how he felt about our lead-up to Christmas. Have you ever asked a question you weren’t quite sure you wanted to hear the answer? This was that moment.

To be honest, I was a bit nervous about his response. What would he say?

• Yes, I had largely simplified things for our Christmas journey.
• Yes, I had put away my pen when I was tempted to sign up for things.
• Yes, I had begun each day with quiet reflection in God’s Word.
• And yes, I loosened the reigns and invited the whole family to identify their favorite activities and what would help us arrive at a celebration we could all enjoy. (And let me tell you, the things I thought they’d choose weren’t what I was expecting.

Had we missed Christmas in my commitment to quiet us down? I took a deep breath, gentled my smile, and awaited his answer.

“Mom, it was better. We weren’t in such a hurry the whole time. It’s great how we do special things before Christmas. But it usually feels like a lot. We didn’t do all that stuff this year. I mean, we had fun. But it wasn’t crazy trying to do everything. It was just…better.”

With a gratitude-filled heart, I could see the Bethlehem Star awaiting our arrival.

If like me, you desire to calm the chaos that often becomes our Christmas, then you’ve found good company here.

In this episode of ‘Living the Grace Life,’ host Jennifer Sakata discusses the overwhelming nature of December and encourages listeners to prepare for a different, quieter Christmas. 

She discusses how to embrace a more peaceful and meaningful December by streamlining holiday preparations and focusing on the Christ of Christmas. Jennifer introduces resources like devotionals designed for families and women to help slow down during Advent.

Jennifer also announces her free devotional eBook, Make Room for the Quieter Voices of Christmas, as well as a limited-time Holiday Bundle gift.

The episode invites listeners to put aside the chaos and embrace a meaningful and more serene holiday season.

 Listen in to make room for the quieter voices of Christmas.

Grace Quotes from Jennifer Sakata:

“Like grace, serenity is sometimes hard to come by. We must be willing to lay aside our old way of doing things to walk into a new way.”

“Had we missed Christmas in my commitment to quiet us down?”

“Mom, it was better. We weren’t in such a hurry the whole time.  It was just…better.”