December 22

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.
Isaiah 26:3 (NIV)

As Christmas nears, it’s only natural for us to look toward the new year. It’s appropriate that it happens in winter, blowing in on a fresh, cold breeze. Crisp white calendar pages fluttering open in the season’s wind. Twelve new months sit before us. Habit makes us fill those pages, but Christmas beckons us to leave space, margin, time for quiet, unplanned things to happen.

We know that the hustle can wear on us, make us feel haggard and exhausted. A calendar filled too full with plans leaves no room for Jesus to move in, sweep us off our feet, bust down the walls of our boxes. Not only does busyness cause anxiety, it takes away opportunities for the hush that often brings peace.

We don’t need to fill our calendars to feel productive. We don’t need to fill our days to the brim in an effort to avoid feeling all the hard things we may be avoiding. We don’t need to fill our time in order to appear successful.

For Today: Are there things you can cut from your 2017 calendar, before you even schedule them?