Leadership Tips & Training Receiving the Gifts of Christmas

Does just the thought of Christmas wear you out? Are you already living in fear and dread of the following:

Coming in at number 10…
- A brutal Christmas schedule
- An overwhelming amount of food everywhere!
- Financial pressures

If those thoughts are the first ones that come to mind when you think about the fast approaching Christmas season, then you are definitely in need of an early Christmas gift. There are some things we can do as leaders to enjoy the days of Christmas. These things are described as wonderful gifts that you can give yourself if you just take the time. Christmas can certainly be a busy time of year, and as leaders, we can be so caught up in the hustle and bustle that we miss out on the greatest gifts if we don’t pay attention.

The Gift of Solitude and Silence
Christmas is such a heart warming time and it’s a great time for meditation and reflection. Instead of thinking and reflecting on the blessing of the season, our minds are busy checking off our lists and gearing up for the “next thing.” As leaders, many of you are defined by how hard you work; you lead lives that are so full and challenging that it requires all of the energy, focus and management that you can muster. In the midst of all this prioritizing and time management there is a voice inside of me silently screaming, “This year, I will enjoy Christmas!” How do we find the Christ of Christmas in the midst of all of the activity? The answer is simple, really. Set aside time for solitude and silence. Now, I know what you are thinking. Many of you are Type A personalities and cannot imagine life without agendas, day planners, prayer lists and study plans. And for us “achievers” to set aside a day during one of the busiest times of the year seems so unproductive.

Be Still
“Be still and know that I am God.” Those first two words are not an easy concept. Solitude and silence is challenging and countercultural on so many levels. It challenges us culturally, because we are not supposed to spend time doing nothing. It challenges our relationships, because it will require us to pull away from those around us for a time. It challenges us spiritually, because in the silence we will come face to face with the inner voice of God. Most of us are afraid of the silence, because we are afraid of what we might find there. That’s why we lead such noisy lives. God has something for us in the silence, and this Christmas I plan on making the journey there to receive a precious gift from Him.

In her book Invitation to Solitude and Silence, Ruth Haley Baton suggests these three things:

- Set aside a sacred space – that is a space set aside for God and God alone.
- Set aside a sacred time – a time to give Him our undivided attention.
- Set aside a sacred place in our soul – a place that is private.

We will have to be intentional about setting time aside for solitude and silence. There will be many things in the days ahead just waiting to eat up our time. Knowing that this holiday season I have these silent dates with God waiting for me changes everything. I am not dreading the season. Instead, I am looking forward to the Christmas presents He has for me.

A cup of cider, a snowy day, a time set aside just to be with Him and I know what He is going to tell me; He going to tell me that He loves me and I am going to tell Him that I love Him back.

Christmas Blessings,
- Set aside a sacred place in our soul – a place that is private.


Vicki Heath

Vicki is our First Place 4 Health Director of Leadership Development.
She also is a Body & Soul Instructor and is on our two First Place 4 Health Aerobic DVD's. She is one of our First Place 4 Health conference speakers and leads Aerobics and speaks at our F.O.C.U.S Wellness Weeks each year.