Does opening an email from a retail shop stress you the heck out right now with only a few days to go until Christmas?

While it’s true you may be worried about holiday logistics like presents and side dishes falling into place, if I know you like I think I know you, you probably have bigger worries on your plate.

’Tis the season for anxious thoughts + overwhelm, amiright?   You’re so not alone!

A few weeks ago, I had this thought wash over me as I was reading my advent study:

“You need to choose wonder over worry.” ✨

I looked up the definition of wonder that morning: a feeling of surprise mingled with admiration, caused by something beautiful, unexpected, unfamiliar, or inexplicable.

I decided that would be my daily choice for advent.

I’ve kept a note every day of things I’m worried about, sketching them out in the morning and leaving them behind.  And at the close of each day, I’ve dug deep to find + celebrate the unexpected in my day.

Yesterday morning, I wrote down “I’m worried we won’t meet our $30k campaign goal by Christmas Eve, and women in Ethiopia will be left stranded on the waiting list.”

And at the close of the day, I got to write down “A 16 year old entrepreneur walked into the shop with a $3,000 check, donating all of her earnings from 2018 to fund 3 women through this life changing program.”

 

With 7 women’s portraits left hanging in our windows, and a year-end impact goal that still seems a tad bit out of reach, I’m laying down my worries and asking myself…

“What if instead of worrying, I anticipated something beautiful and unexpected to come?”

Whatever your worries are, write them out and clear them out of your head.

And then look for the small but mighty miracles.  They’re happening all around us.

Today, I’m declaring wonder over worry and standing expectant of good things to come.  Join me?  ✨

 

Signed in wonder,