What a busy time of year!! I don’t need to remind you of the non-seasonal stressors, let alone the additional time consuming, even if kind and worthy, tasks, activities, and expectations that are part of our lives, especially this month.

Awhile back when I was asked to be in a couple plays and do some nursing home and tree lighting gigs of course I said yes. I love making music! As the days of the performances approached, and involved travel not only in my usual two states (Maine and Massachusetts) but also Vermont, I began to doubt my decisions. All good, however, at that point, since I had made some reasonable accommodations. Instead of five gigs, I would only be available for two. I wouldn’t attend many (in one case, any) play rehearsals. A prerecorded music track I had made earlier could be used until the actual performances. I would be able to accomplish my both/and life style, i.e., how to be two places at once, or as Sid says, my mantra of why live one life when you can live two? Or three? 😊

So all really was going great with just one more nursing home gig to go, one more play to perform, some packages already mailed off to children and grandchildren, most presents bought and wrapped. I had been doing a great job (for the most part) of focusing on all that I had done instead of all that I still had to do. Each day, even with work expectations too, had been feeling pretty good, especially with my tools of Daily Dvar, morning prayer, and all the other spiritual centeredness techniques we had been discussing, until earlier this week. . .

I had just finished the third night’s production of the play in Vermont and was readying for the trip to Massachusetts for a couple days before going home to Maine. So much energy and excitement followed the last night’s play performance that I had had trouble winding down which resulted in a short night’s sleep. A stressful conversation with a family member and long drive added to my joy meter beginning to run down, despite my morning devotion to Him that day.

For the past couple weeks the charging unit on the bottom of my IPhone had stopped working so I could only charge it wirelessly. On our way back we stopped at the mall to have it fixed. (Thank God it was fixable!) While waiting for the repair we were able to further attack that holiday shopping list. A great use of time but after a couple hours, given all that had preceded, I was completely exhausted.

The last event scheduled for the day was a dinner out birthday celebration for a close family member who lives with us in MA. By now my head was hurting, my body was exhausted, and I really didn’t think I had the energy left to do it. So we arrived at the restaurant. . .

Once I saw our family gathered around that table it was as if I had a complete body transplant. I felt good as new! I was so filled with love and happiness to see them that my body responded as well. All of the joy that had started my day when centered in Him returned, and then some. I realized not only the healing power of love but its unfathomable ability to overcome negativity and even physical exhaustion.

We often can’t change our stressors nor our physical well being. We know we can’t change some of our situations or others who may negatively influence us. What we can be open to is the inexplicable, overwhelming, transformative power of love, His Love, which permeates and fills us when we allow ourselves to receive and transmit it to those around us.

There are times, such as during holiday seasons, when our spirits, bodies, and lives can feel broken. When we experience such negativity, it is often our inability to receive Him, just as my IPhone could no longer receive a charge sufficiently, that needs to be fixed. During this hectic time of year, let Him in, let in His Love of you. Let it fill your days and overflow to others as it then flows back to you and to Him. It is how He does bring Joy to the World, for the Lord has come.

Shabbat shalom.

Diane