Seasonal Excessive Disorder

Things occur to me at odd times. I think I was turning right from Prairie Center Drive onto Technology Drive when this one hit. I thought: “Does anyone find it strange that at this time of the year, we give ourselves and everyone else complete permission to do everything to excess? We eat excessively, drink excessively, spend excessively, decorate, plan, schedule and visit excessively. And yet Jesus was born in a barn.”

The thought immediately following was, “Well, not necessarily. I’ve been pretty deliberate about scaling back over the past few years. I might have some advice to share.”

The next thought was, “And speaking of excess, how many articles, talks, sermons, conversations and editorials have you seen and heard about how Americans continue to go to excess and miss the point of the season? Care to jump on the bandwagon?”

I may have been all the way to the 494 entrance on Flying Cloud Drive at this point. I thought, “If, as a Christian, I believe Christmas is ultimately about undeserved grace, what right do I have to say anything to anyone about his choices, excessive or otherwise?”

I was merging when it occurred to me that “Deciding to do 90 blog entries in 90 days was a wee bit excessive, now wasn’t it? And it’s December. COINCIDENCE???”

While waiting for the car in front of me to figure out how to merge onto 169 southbound from 494, I continued musing on whether I had anything whatsoever pertinent to say about the holiday season. “Do I even have to blog about it? Wouldn’t it be refreshing NOT to say anything about the obvious?”

I crossed Anderson Lakes Parkway onto Hennepin Town Road. “Then again, it might give me something to write about. It’s not like I don’t have an opinion. On everything.”

Right on Linden, left on Dorset, into the garage, still carrying on this inner dialog about whether or not I should put in my two cents about excess, humility, grace and lefse. My final thought:

“I really need to get my car radio fixed.”