The Rush Is On

It is early morning when I am writing this new blog, and maybe you have already been standing in line for hours at your favorite mega-store to buy those rare toys that are so in demand this year. So, maybe I'm talking to thin air here, and maybe it will be tomorrow before you read this, or maybe it will be January. Today is the annual gold rush day in America, when every store tries to make its sales goals for the year. The advertising in yesterday's newspapers was frantic. Was your paper as thick as a Sunday paper? A lot of trees gave their lives to the cause.

This is only the beginning of the "holiday season" as it is now known, and the whirlwind of activity will spin on for more than a month, leaving us wilted. It might even leave us with a let-down feeling. This is the time of year we hear two major streams of thought competing for our attention. On the one hand, we hear the advertisers wanting to empty their shelves in exchange for our empty wallets. On the other hand, we hear those who would calm us and advise us to pace ourselves.

How can we enjoy all the festivities and keep a balance in our lives? We can do this by taking time to pray. If we begin each new day with intentional time with God, we might be amazed at how much better our days will go. Rather than just rushing off to do the urgent things, we will have taken time for the important thing. Jesus had a lot of urgent pulls and tugs on each of his days, but he always began his days with the important thing - prayer.

"O God, the King eternal, whose light divides the day from the night and turns the shadow of death into the morning: Drive far from us all wrong desires, incline our hearts to keep your law, and guide our feet into the way of peace; that, having done your will with cheerfulness during the day, we may, when night comes, rejoice to give you thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." (The Book of Common Prayer, p. 99)

Pastor Linda
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Pastor
The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek