I stopped by Drug Mart on the way home yesterday and had to weave my way through the onslaught of Christmas merchandise filling the aisles already. Here we go…the biggest season for me of working on balance and priorities has begun. Don’t get me wrong, I do love Christmas, but it also adds stress to my sense of being in the world.
One Christmas, all my daughter wanted was a Barbie Train. She never really asked for much so I was determined to give her this hot item on everyone’s Christmas list. It was expensive, it took stops at several stores, and I finally found one across town (this was before online shopping). I was overjoyed that we could give her what her heart desired.
She was thrilled when she opened it, and her Barbies rode that train for several days. But after the initial glow wore off, the train was parked in the corner for weeks. When I asked her why she wasn’t playing with it anymore, she said in her sweetest 7-year-old voice, “The commercials made it look more fun than it really is.” What an astute observation for both of us. The worldly things that we think will bring us happiness, frequently don’t.
Throughout the year and especially in the holiday season, I can get caught up in materialism and expectations. I know I still battle in my head when I’m at the store or looking online. What do I really need? Is this the gift that will bring real joy? I have the money, but is this my priority? What is enough? Even setting a budget doesn’t always soothe my heart.
I try to live my life generously. I know first-hand the freedom and peace that it can bring. Using my time and treasures to help others and support organizations that do good in the world lifts my soul more than any material items. So, why do I struggle with the desire for worldly things? How about you? What are your struggles with materialism and expectations?
I will continue to pray that on my journey of faith I remember the lesson of the Barbie Train: The shiny things in the world that can suck us in usually don’t bring us the joy that we anticipate. They don’t outweigh the peace of knowing that my treasures and hopes are in Jesus alone. That joy comes from sharing our time and gifts in ways that lift others up and do good in the world. I’m praying we all enter this season grounded in the sustaining love and hope of Jesus. It will be the guiding light for our priorities.
Peace always,
Angie Seiller, Director of Faith Formation