Saturday, December 8, 2018

Holiday Stress vs the Christmas Spirit

I attended a live nativity tonight, but it didn't affect me as strongly as it had in previous years. This may be because I was still carrying some residual care from earlier in the day. Just before my family attended the nativity, we spent at least a few hours rushing about, buying things, trying to get things done. When we watched the live nativity, it had a calming effect on me, but that may be mostly the result of having an opportunity to sit down and not have to do anything, not even interact with others. Perhaps, if I had spent some quiet time sitting still and calming myself before the live nativity, I would have been in a better position to feel the Spirit I'm sure was there during the nativity.

So, my advice to all of you is to try to cut down on some of the business of the holidays. It's good to make and buy gifts and treats for others, but don't burn yourself out doing it. And if you're an introvert like I am, try to find a way to excuse yourself from the crowd and spend some alone time with the Savior. It's always important to make sure you can feel the Spirit, and that's especially true at Christmastime. If something makes it difficult for you to feel the Spirit, try to spend less time with it and more time with the Savior. We can't always manage that, because some holiday traditions, like shopping, are largely unavoidable, but I think we should try.

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