It’s NESTING Time or is it BUY NOW and DO MORE Time?

Day 338 of Photo Inspirations — It’s NESTING Time or is it BUY NOW and DO MORE Time?
Oh my — the holiday ads, promotions and marketing campaigns are amped up.   Everyday, the message is “buy now for best bargains”, 50% off today only, deal of the day.  BUY — BUY — BUY!! There are banners outside stores, ads coming in the mail and tons of them coming through on social media.  It takes great willpower to NOT be drawn in.  After all, it’s only 21 more days until Christmas!

On Thanksgiving Day, (my first photo inspiration for today), folks were camped out at our Best Buy since early hours, to get their “must have” merchandise when the store would open up for Black Friday sales.  It was so cold and raining out that day.  We pulled up beside a couple of guys and asked “What is it that you’re waiting for?”  They responded “A  $450 TV for $150!”  I guess, for them, it was worth the wait to save $300.  And, I’ll admit, yesterday, I was drawn into Michaels to save 50% (that day only) on an item I wanted.  Peer pressure — rather, buying pressure.

Then there’s the chatting on Facebook and Pinterest about really awesome decorations and craft items for Christmas — so, once again, our reasoning is we need to do more to make this season just right.

Isn’t there something we can do to stop the deafening sounds that separate  us from what this season is all about?

This is the most awesome season of Advent where tranquility is so needed — to find that “nesting” place where we’re awaiting the birth — the coming of our Lord.  Don’t we really want to push the MUTE button to separate ourselves from the crowds and busyness to enter into His stillness by taking some R&R (rest and relaxation) time to go find HIM in the secret place?

I’m a realist and I know we often don’t have much choice but to stay on hyper-mode, but somewhere there must be a quiet little “nesting” spot we can find so we can pause for some silence when we can. It may mean we have to turn down the TV or the radio so we can hear God’s still small voice.  It may be we practice God’s presence even if it’s just to read a short devotion or simply to whisper His name in a prayer.  Advent is about preparing for the Christ Child to arrive.  Maybe that means, like a Mama Bird preparing for the arrival of her babies, to sit and wait and breathe in peace and quiet and exhale the worries, the stress, the fears and concerns.  I promise, God is quite aware of all that’s on our plates.  He totally gets us, but all the while….He’s over in a quiet “nesting” spot just waiting for us to cozy up to Him for refreshing and restoration.

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and loaded down with burdens, and I will give you rest.”  Matthew 11:28