Hustle, Bustle, Hustle, Bustle, Got So Much To Do

The title is a line I remember from a children's choir Christmas musical many, many years ago......Hustle, bustle, hustle, bustle, got so much to do!  Hustle, bustle, hustle, bustle, will I ever get through?  And on it goes.

Many are singing a version of that song during this season.  There's the shopping to finish.  And gifts to wrap.  And what about all that baking to be done?  And in between all that, there are all the regular tasks of life to deal with.

It's those regular tasks that have me hustling about this week.  My shopping is finished, except for those last minute, just-before-the-family-gets-here, things like milk and eggs and bread, and the fresh vegetables we'll need for Christmas dinner.  The gifts are wrapped and under the tree.  The decorations are in their places.  There's still some baking to do, but I've planned out a schedule so I don't over-tire myself in the process of getting it all done.  At least that's the plan!  It remains to be seen if my plan will actually work, since, as I've often quoted before, the best laid plans of mice and men go oft awry.

My hustle-bustle this week has less to do with Christmas and more to do with life.  An appointment for a bone density test yesterday, one of the facts of life for slightly-past-middle-aged women.  Today brings my regular trip over the river and through the woods to see my rheumatologist.  And I have yet another appointment on Friday, that one for a little "personal maintenance".  Busy, busy, busy.  And in between, I've squeezed in things like baking and household chores, which makes me tired just thinking about it all!

It's hard to think about peace on earth and silent night and all the rest in the middle of the busyness that is life during this season.  With things like baking and gift wrapping and all the rest piled on to the regular stresses of life.

But....in the middle of all this busyness and hustling and bustling, in the middle of all the chaos that life can be here in the 21st century.....isn't this the time we most need to step back, find a quiet place for at least a few minutes, take a deep breath, and remember.

Remember that night in Bethlehem two thousand years ago.  Reflect on the events of that first noel.  Rejoice that, even in the busyness of life, and even in the turmoil of our world, the One born on that night came to bring peace. 

When we let that truth wash over us, then we can be at peace even in the middle of the hustle and bustle.

"For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."  (Isaiah 9:6 ESV)

This Scripture set to music:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN5BaOGTmGs