O Lord of my aching back and bruised knees
From struggling with the ladder to string up colored lights
And from crawling under the house to drag out the plywood Nativity silhouettes
Because I do not want to be the only one in the neighborhood
Not showing the proper Christmas spirit.
O Lord of my anxieties and sleepless nights
From worrying about my Christmas budget
And anguishing over what to buy for each of my loved ones
So that they will know how much I love them.
O Lord of my aching feet and exhaustion
From trying to keep up with my frantic schedule,
A chaotic calendar of Christmas parties, pageants, and extra holiday baking
O Lord of my headache and extra five pounds
From too little rest and too much to eat.
O Lord of my Christmas, Hear my cry!
Save me from MY Christmas
And make it YOURS again.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JESUS!