I delight in Thanksgiving; dare I say, it’s my favorite holiday. Without presents to buy, cards to mail or parties to attend, it’s one day to dwell in gratitude with those we love most. I love the simplicity. I love gathering together over a meal. I love reflecting on how the Lord is moving and even the ways I’m still waiting on Him. Thanksgiving brings opportunity to pause with others to simply delight and dwell—that is, if we’re intentional to allow for it. 

As we enter into November and the gateway to the holiday season, let’s call a quick time out to allow space to consider: How do you want the next few months to look?

A THANKSGIVING STORY

Rewind a few years to fall of 2021. Derek and I had just gotten married and returned from our honeymoon. The first few weeks back home were a flurry of moving Derek’s things in, catching up with friends and family post-wedding, and getting wedding thank you’s and our first Christmas card out simultaneously, all while starting to think about preparing for the holiday season. (Eek!) 

It was the week before Thanksgiving and we had plans to celebrate back home with my family. And then, as many of you likely remember, an influx of COVID hit. One-by-one, our family started dropping like flies with symptoms. Derek and I, likely worn out from traveling and the busyness of our newlywed season, both got it at the same time. Needless to say, the family Thanksgiving plans were scrapped, each household left to celebrate in its own sniffly way.

Derek and I—achy, fatigued and feverish—decided we’d have a sweet little holiday despite how we were feeling. After all, attitude is everything, right?! Instead of a running a turkey trot, we went for a walk in the fresh air. Instead of steaming up the kitchen from cooking for hours, we sat in the sauna. And instead of going to a church service, we worshipped in our living room in stillness and reflection (“soaking”). We rested. We had conversations about our new life together. We delighted in the Lord’s blessings—especially the blessing of one another! 

When it came time for dinner, we decided we’d go big or go home with spicy chili. After all, it wasn’t a traditional Thanksgiving anyway and neither of us could taste or smell. I took things up a notch with extra jalapeños—just to be sure we had a shot at being able to taste our food. As we dug in, the warmth of the liquid soothed our throats. But taste? Nothin’. Seeing Derek’s watery eyes and being unable to control my draining sinuses, I realized no amount of jalapeños could have woken up our taste buds. We looked pitiful. We didn’t feel great. And yet, it was delightful. We have lovely memories of that Thanksgiving. 

DELIGHTING IN SIMPLICITY

Now why would a Thanksgiving, feeling this cruddy, be delightful? As we look back, there was something special about being together with no schedule, no planning menus, no fighting crowds at the grocery store, no ironing clothes or being overly occupied with details. We were present. We had margin. We had the mental, physical and emotional space to dwell—with one another, with God and in gratitude. We could simply “be.” 

To be clear, we aren’t changing all of our Thanksgiving traditions to sitting in the sauna and eating spicy chili. However, our experience of being forced into an unconventional holiday helped us realize how much we value quality time and simplicity. This is true not just with holidays but for everyday life. To dwell, we must have margin. Margin is necessary to set apart space for God. And in God, we delight.

ASKING THE QUESTION

With Thanksgiving and Christmas quickly approaching, it’s essential to pause now to ask yourself: How do you want the next few months to look?

For us, it means stepping back from lots of gift-giving and rather, focusing on being present with people. It’s maintaining a calendar that allows us to enjoy the coziness of home—Christmas tree lit and a hot meal in the oven—instead of dashing from event-to-event every night. It’s having a state—body, soul and Spirit—with the capacity and readiness to share Jesus with others who may be consumed with overwhelm and hopelessness. “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.” (Matthew 9:37)

What about you? This is the time to decide how your holiday season will look. You may need to block your calendar now for more margin later. (It doesn’t happen by accident.) You may need to have conversations with friends and family, prioritizing time together over time at the mall. You may need to write down a plan for saying a kind-hearted “no” to traditions and events that no longer serve you or nourish your soul. And you may even need to find some less-complicated recipes (hello, slow cooker!) to share at gatherings. However you need to clear the clutter, plan for it now. Prioritize the things that make your holiday season most special and simplify the rest. Come January, you’ll feel lighter and brighter—all because you had the space to delight in the holidays!