Presented by Lauren Stibgen I don’t know about you, but I started preparing Thanksgiving dinner yesterday! In between revising my budget and squeezing in some conference calls, I am preparing to host in our home. I know I am not alone! You know I love my statistics: 62% of respondents to a Harvard Medical School study reported stress levels were somewhat or very elevated during the holidays. You see where I am headed. Yesterday we talked about how over half of Americans are lonely or sad during the holidays, and now we are adding stress! Sometimes I can balance all this excitement for gathering and a good meal, but often I find myself exhausted and frankly lacking patience for those around me at work and at home. And my reflection of Christ, well…it is not very good. Being able to show compassion during the holiday truly depends on how I lean on the compassion Jesus Christ has for me! When I am feeling very stressed and overburdened, I am reminded of something Jesus said: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30). He calls me to come to him. He offers me rest. He offers to bare my burden by being yoked with me. If you don’t know what being yoked means, picture two animals that are bound together by a bar or “yoke” that rests on their shoulders. With this yoke, they must walk together in unison to get the job done. Anytime they aren’t in step, they cannot get the job done properly. We can never expect to get our job done properly without Jesus. When we forget he offers to be yoked with us, stress rises, and we forget that our most important job is to be his light in this world—especially in our homes during the holidays. It can be very tempting to make your lists and start your day early without spending time in God’s Word. For me, this is nonnegotiable time. When I don’t start my day in the word, it feels “off”. I find during the holiday, I need to set a few timers during my day to pause. During these quick two minutes mini-breaks, I focus on a small prayer or a bible verse I select. Maybe, for ease, use the one from Matthew 11:28-30 to remind you to let Jesus help you work! And when I am less than patient, I try to remember to apologize.