“Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!”—Psalm 105:4 (ESV)

December isn’t supposed to be a month of stress for us. However, for many, it is difficult to find a good balance between what needs to get done and things that really aren’t as important as the world makes us think.

As much as I love Christmas decorations, I find myself scaling back each year. I have gone from having up 3 trees to one. I only need to have the one in my living room where I spend most of my time. Christmas cards? Yes, I will still do them, but I no longer send out 100 cards by December 1st.

While my Christmas photos have been taken, my cards have been sitting on my kitchen table since Thanksgiving. Normally, every time I would walk by my table, it would give me anxiety to see it all laying there ready to go….not this year! Why is that? I am not sure, but I credit it to the Holy Spirit revealing to me what is important.

I have given away several knit gifts this past week as well as working on some new ones. Sharing the love of Jesus with those that might not know Him, is more important than getting all my Christmas cards in the mail by a certain day or making sure my home is decorated to be featured in Better Homes and Garden.

I am also getting much better at being okay in saying, “no.” I was invited to a lunch this past Thursday. I really wanted to go, but I would have been rushing from one activity to the next. Rather than enjoy my time with these ladies, I would have kept looking at my watch. Declining this event, was the right thing for me to do.

Most importantly, for me to manage stress, I need to make time for me with the Lord. When I am doing kingdom work, He always takes care of the minutes of my day to get things done. In addition to my set aside time each morning, engaging with God throughout my day brings me an added peace. I thank Him from parking spots to praying for those who I know have needs. Whatever comes to mind, I lift up to Him during my day. With my gift giving, I also make sure I say a prayer when I get in my car for the person who received what I made.

God’s presence, which is wherever we invite Him, is a place to go for relief from stress, worry and anxiety. No matter what, I know God is here with me. He is my source and strength to start and end my day right. God changes your heart when you are in His presence. It refreshes our soul….even in clogged parking lots, long lines and bumper-to-bumper traffic.  

Letting “stuff” get in the way of our desire of being in God’s presence is a tactic from the enemy. How or what can you eliminate from your calendar that causes your heart to race when you think about it?

Father God,

 I want to know You more. I ask for forgiveness when I don’t take the needed time to spend with You. Thank You for Your grace. Continue to reveal to me areas in my life to scale back so that I can maximize my time serving You. Open eyes to Your presence by bringing awareness of You in their every day moments. It is in the name of Jesus that I pray these things. Amen.

December Verse

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”—Isaiah 9:6

If you are knitting or crocheting gifts to give away, please make sure you tweet @KnitPrayShare or share your projects on the Knit, Pray, Share Facebook page or Instagram using the hashtag #KnitPrayShare. Be sure to attach a tag to whatever gift you make