November 30, 2011 – Luke 21:29 - 22:20

“drowsy from …the anxieties of daily life”.  That isn’t a way that we usually think about anxiety.  Usually I think of it as something that keeps us up or excited, not drowsy.  But on reflection, they can cause similar things.  If you are driving and drowsy, you are not going to be paying full attention.  Same thing if you are anxious about your children in the backseat.  You are being distracted from the true road you are suppose to be focusing on. 

You can also see it as the anxieties of life are wearing you out and making you drowsy.  You could say “there are so many things that I am so worn out”, or “there are so many things I don’t know where to begin”.  In both cases the anxieties of daily life are causing you to take your eyes off the road. 

This time of year is a perfect time to fall into this pattern.  There are so many parties, gifts, responsibilities that are added on to the daily issues that we become swamp.  It is so easy to lose sight of what the season is all about.  I just got done watching the Grinch with Paul and even though it is not a specifically Christian show, it does make you think about what the real meaning is behind the season.  This gets lost many times in the hustle and bustle of everything else.  The Who’s in Whoville were not deterred after all their Christmas things were taken because they were still together and could still celebrate the true meaning of the season.  Although this is a perfect time of year to get overly anxious about daily life, it makes it a perfect time to practice focusing on the “road”, the real direction our lives are going and to stay alert.