{"id":317,"date":"2012-12-22T01:01:33","date_gmt":"2012-12-22T01:01:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/gooddaysbaddays\/?p=317"},"modified":"2012-12-13T20:02:45","modified_gmt":"2012-12-13T20:02:45","slug":"advent-2012-does-your-timing-seem-off","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/2012\/12\/advent-2012-does-your-timing-seem-off.html","title":{"rendered":"Advent 2012: Does Your Timing Seem Off?"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

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Image courtesy of nuchylee\/FreeDigitalPhotos.net<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Advent Day 21:\u00a0 Does your timing seem off?<\/p>\n

One of the most difficult things about the holiday season is wanting to do it all, but not having enough time to do it in. This is particularly appropriate for those of us with chronic pain and illness. One bad day during Advent, and the whole season may be thrown off. Or, our efforts to pack in activities and every family tradition leave us in flares for months after December has passed.<\/p>\n

I’ve experienced this myself; in an effort to have a “normal” holiday, I’ve overdone a holiday season or two. The lessons (flares, more pain, frustration) were difficult, but also valuable. However much I’d like it to be otherwise, my timing is not God’s timing. And giving in to God’s timing is part of what Advent and Christmas are about.<\/p>\n

These next few days will fly by. We will not be able to accomplish everything on our “to do” lists, or, if we do, well, we just might suffer from it later. But Christmas will come, and we will be able to celebrate – not because of all the things we accomplished, but because of the spirit that encouraged and inspired us to accomplish them – and because of the supreme gift of the Christ child, whose birth in a manger far from home instead of in Mary’s familiar territory further demonstrates that, no matter how much we think we can control time, God just might have His own ideas!<\/p>\n

Blessings for the day,<\/p>\n

Maureen<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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