Pause with me to imagine that first Christmas night. Shepherds startled in the fields by angels declaring peace on earth. A baby, sleeping quietly, carrying the weight of God’s promise never to stop pursuing us. Joseph and Mary wondering at God's redirection of their lives.

So why am I hooked on hectic? Why do I look for a sign to see whether this season is going my way? It’s as if I have this cookie-cutter idea of what I expect from the holiday, and if it’s a fraction of an inch different than my expectations, I moan and marvel at how it just doesn’t seem like the way I experienced it before. Goodness, how nostalgia can tempt and trap.