Columnist Katie Faley hopes early shopping helps her save "mental energy and all that time for what really matters -- entering into the season of Advent, preparing the way of the Lord, and opening the door to the inn of my heart for the baby Jesus." (CNS/Reuters)

Cause of Our Joy / By Katie Faley

It’s Dec. 23, I’ve only just finished my Christmas shopping, I’m feverishly wrapping presents, I’m tired and worn out, cursing myself for waiting until the last minute yet again, and I’m promising myself that I’m going to start my Christmas shopping in October next year.

But of course, next October rolls around and Christmas isn’t even on my mind.

And the cycle repeats itself.

I scramble through December. I find myself rushing to the store to pick up presents (or sitting in front of the computer clicking away hoping my order will make it to the door before Dec. 25).

This year, I’m kind of proud of myself because for the first time in my life, I remembered to start my Christmas shopping in October.

MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR?

December always gets so busy. When I look ahead at my month of December, I feel like there’s nothing on the calendar. But come Dec. 1, the calendar suddenly fills up immediately and completely. Between visits with family and friends, Christmas parties, baking, and all the other little things that add up, the month just flies by.

I always find myself on Christmas Eve wondering, “I can’t believe this is the celebration of the birth of Christ. I didn’t do anything to prepare myself for this. Where did Advent go?”

Sometimes I even make a last-ditch effort to read something spiritual or do something to “check off” that Advent box — mostly just to make myself feel better.

 WHERE IS TIME, ENERGY GOING?

Every year I’m shocked at how long and how much mental energy it takes to get all of my Christmas shopping done.

I love giving gifts, and gift giving is a good thing. But I spend so much time thinking about what I’m going to get everyone and shopping. Add wrapping on top of it, and I’m exhausted by Christmas.

I want to save that mental energy and all that time for what really matters — entering into the season of Advent, preparing the way of the Lord, and opening the door to the inn of my heart for the baby Jesus.

So, this year, I decided to start my shopping in October and consciously scale back on some of my optional responsibilities in December. It’ll require saying no to certain things, which can be difficult. But I want this Advent to actually feel like Advent. I want to set aside time to actually be engrossed in the “reason for the season.”

MAKING A NEW PLAN

I challenged myself to think about any Advents in the recent past that I thought I was really immersed in waiting in hope for the birth of Jesus.

One particularly put-together year, I read through the book of Isaiah. Each night, I’d read a couple of chapters and fall asleep thinking about the symbolism of the prophet’s words. I tried to put myself in the shoes (or sandals, not sure) of the Israelites and what it must have felt like to not know what God meant when He promised a savior.

What would I have pictured if I was them? It definitely wouldn’t have been a baby.

It must have been confusing to hear that the savior was going to be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14). Like the Israelites, I would have been expecting a literal king, with robes and jewels, winning a literal war. But God is full of surprises — sending His Son Jesus probably being the biggest surprise of all.

That was a fruitful Advent. I felt well prepared for Christmas. So, I intend to do something similar this year with all of the time and energy I’ll be saving by having my Christmas shopping done and saying no to things I don’t need to say yes to. If you have any ideas of what you’re doing or have done, please feel free to email me!

So, this is a friendly reminder for me (and you if you feel like joining, you too!) to start my Christmas shopping early.

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KATIE FALEY is a member of St. Mark Parish in Peoria and a writing coordinator for OSF HealthCare. She has a master’s degree in theology and theological studies from the University of Notre Dame. Write to her at katiefaleywriter@gmail.com.