Twixtmas Reflection

How are your plans looking for Twixtmas?

Twixtmas? What’s that, I hear you say?

It’s that peculiar ‘limbo’ time between Christmas and New Year (it has nothing to do with chocolate bars!). That period following all the build up to 25th December, the busyness of preparing and getting ready which is followed by a lull in socialising, family gatherings and festive rejoicing. That period when maybe we’re not even sure what day it is, that offers some space to recover and unwind after the excitement of Advent and our Christmas celebrations. For some of us we might even dare to whisper that it’s actually our favourite time!

Twixtmas can have a special, timeless quality –we can turn off alarm clocks and no longer worry about whether we’ve ticked off everything on our to do list. It stretches before us unplanned and seemingly endless. Time and space to do exactly what we will, waking up in the morning with a day before us that can be filled with sauntering winter walks, movies we’ve missed or playing games with friends and family who may be around. There are no rules and that may be one of the best things about it!

Of course for some, these days will be spent working whereas for others who may have worked long shifts over Christmas, then twixtmas becomes their opportunity to celebrate, meeting up with friends and family. What remains essential for all of us is to rest, to recognise how important it is to take our foot off the accelerator and slow down.

For some of us that might sound alarming, we value the structure and schedule that shapes our daily lives but there is something powerful in embracing (even if just for a short period) some deep and nourishing time to rest. Church life for many has been especially challenging in recent times, add in Advent services and Christmas events, life becomes very hectic indeed! So to lay down the demands which have occupied us, letting our minds, bodies and spirits enjoy the time to do nothing, or very little, may be exactly what’s needed.

In the spirit of Psalm 23, to ask God to help us lie down in green pastures; letting ourselves be led to still waters where our loving and generous creator restores our soul. To welcome the slowing down, breathing it in deeply so it reaches the far corners of our being. Meeting with God in the midst of our rest and recharging. At this time especially, so many of us are desperately in need of some deep, restorative rest that will recharge our batteries which have drained and now blink red. God can speak profoundly to us in those moments that are seemingly empty when we tune in, listen and pay attention. What might we hear if we chose to plug ourselves in to the soothing and uplifting presence of God during our twixtmas time?

So what can you do with your twixtmas time? What quality do you want it to have? Well, that’s the beauty of this interlude as it’s entirely up to you: reflect on the things that energise and enrich you. Find ways to incorporate them into these days, remembering that times of rest are good for the whole of our being: mind, body and soul.

Gail Adcock
December 2021