A 40-day December

By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. – Genesis 2:2

I propose that December be made a 40-day month. There should be three additional days a the beginning of the month to prepare for the busy days ahead, another three days around December 18-24, and three more between Christmas and New Year’s Day that would allow time for us to recover from schedule overload and revert to a semblance of normalcy.

You like that idea, right? Unfortunately we can’t make December a 40-day month or create 30-hour days. The question then becomes, “How can you prevent schedule overload this month?” Consider some of the following thoughts that may help you survive:

First, remember that quality, not quantity, counts. More is not necessarily better. Don’t try to program every minute of the month, crowding more events and activities into less and less time. Remember that even God rested after six days of creation.

Then rethink what is important to you. What are your priorities? You can’t keep everybody happy; don’t try. So what is important in your life? If Christmas is the highlight of the month, then focus on the meaning of the event – the Reason for the season. Ask yourself, “How can I glorify Christ in my life, my giving, and my time?”

And this final thought comes with a warning: If you don’t decide about what you will do, others and circumstances will make the decisions for you. If you fail to budget your time, money and other resources, they will be dribbled out an hour at a time, a bit here and there, and you will look back sourly asking, “What happened to December?”

“Dost thou love life?” asked Benjamin Franklin, adding, “Then use time wisely, for that‘s the stuff life is made of.”

Used with permission from Guidelines Philippines, Inc. To learn more about Guidelines and the ministry, please write to Box 4000, 1280 Makati City, Philippines or e-mail address box4000@guidelines.org. You may also visit our website at www.guidelines.org.