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Nolan’s present finally arrived. The box was damaged, the box inside was damaged. I was concerned but thankfully it appears that everything is fine and can easily be built to proper specifications without further delay.
I was very frustrated. I ordered on the 9th. They didnt’ ship until the 19th. It didn’t arrive until the 26th.
Annoyance is an understatement. It was poor customer service all around. “Ships within 2-3 business days.” My eye.
Then I thought about the myriad of things that I ordered and shipped myself. They all arrived in plenty of time, in good condition, and without hiccoughs. I spent several days irritated every time I thought about Nolan’s present. I spent several days allowing myself to be bothered by something out of my control. I let someone else rob some of my joy of the season.
Why do we do that? Why do we let simple things drive us so crazy. It took almost no time to come up with an alternative gift, wrap it, and it was fine! It wasn’t ideal, no. But since when is every single aspect of life ideal? Any other time of year, I would just move along and do something else. At Christmas, it’s like a personal affront. I’m pretty sure that’s not the kind of attitude Jesus would want from me as part of a celebration of His birth!
Shame on me.
And shame on companies who do not provide reasonable customer service. (just had to say that don’tcha know.)
I sing Merry Christmas!
I love this holiday. I spent a few years searching the scriptures, comparing them to ‘historical origins’ of this holiday and praying over how we celebrate. I wanted to ensure that my heart wasn’t so entangled in this world and its trappings that I was trying to do what my father called, “white washing the devil’s world”. That’s the last thing I wanted.
I can’t say every thing I do, in every aspect of our celebration has a conscious focus on the Lord. However, I can’t say that about every time I train a child, make a meal, or send a note to a friend who needs encouragement. When the Holy Spirit indwells your soul, everything you do is an offering to the Lord. Whether it’s making a Hungarian Coffee Cake to bless my family because they enjoy that tradition, or it’s sending cards to touch base with people that I don’t always “hear from” during the year, it’s all about honoring the Lord in my actions.
This time of year, it’s about honoring the fact of His birth. We’re not commanded to do it. We’re commanded to remember and honor His death and ressurection. However, the fact is, He couldn’t have died if He hadn’t been born. The day was important enough to be recorded by His apostles, travelled to by “wise men”, and heralded by angels. I’d say it’s worthy of a celebration even if we don’t know exactly when it was. The fact that it occurs during an ancient pagan celebration time is, in my opinion, wonderful. Let’s take back these days!
I know that on the surface, wrapping paper, mistletoe, ornaments, and candy canes seem to have little to do with the birth of God Almighty in a humble stable but because of who we are in Jesus- because we are not to be judged by one another for how we celbrate “a holy day” or NOT celebrate it… if candy canes and shiny bows make me think of Jesus more often… if they make me remember to be more patient in long lines or give me an appreciation for our blessings…
Then I say it’s a whole season of Worshipping the King of Kings!
In excelsis Deo!
I shopped for stockings, I took a long nap, we had chili for dinner, and then……………………
THE FIRST PRESENTS!
Oh how fun it was to see the surprise on faces, feel the excitement in the air, see how happy children can be in giving.
See, on Christmas Eve, our children open their gifts that they give each other. We have an exchange where they draw names and buy for one sibling (because who wants 9 presents per kid JUST from each other!). It’s wonderful to see how eager they are to find out if their sibling liked what they chose. It’s exciting to see them guess what is in the box etc.
I was blessed with a new pair of pajamas and a box of chocolate covered cherries which, I did NOT open immediately. Of course, several hours later after I blew out the candle on top of the bookshelf, my hand slipped, and I spilled hot wax all over me and my new pajama top. Time to find out how to get out candle wax from clothing! EEK.
I am excited to play the new game that our whole family got as well.
The children went to bed… I sat in the living room, looked at the lights, our Christmas village, and thanked the Lord for another blessed year. We are so blessed in so many ways- I cannot count them. Every year I marvel how the Lord cares for us, blesses us beyond measure, and teaches us about Himself in these blessings.
I bought my last gift- I hope.
I think I’m done. I hope I’m done. I pray that the gift that is late in the mail will show up tomorrow and beg me to wrap it so that I’m not out trying to find a last second idea for a difficult to buy for person anyway.
I love this feeling of finality. I waited so long this year to buy anything and boy did I learn my lesson. I’m making plans for next year already. This won’t happen again.
On the other hand, it’s been fun. I’ve found gifts that I really hope my family is going to love. That’s a great feeling. Life is happy and exciting and I have a houseful of pretty packages. I’m excited.
Now for the Hungarian Coffee Cakes..
I took a break from blogging. After all, one should exhibit moderation in all things.
See you tomorrow.
Nope. Not the Commander-in-Chief of the United States of America… the chief of this tee pee.
This is a bit of a rant. I keep reading articles, books, hearing ‘messages’, and in every other way known to man, am innundated with admonitions to “help our men” be the leaders God intended them to be by “getting out of the way” and “letting” them lead. It all sounds so pious and godly. After all, who wants to be a stumbling block to her husband’s obedience to the Lord!
The problem comes when I see constant assumptions made. If a wife is confident and capable around her home, making decisions for the family without input from her husband, it is an automatic assumption that it is done without her husband’s knowledge, approval, or direction. If wives are trying to choose what gifts to buy for Sally’s birthday, the question arises, “What does your husband think?” Well, actually, he thinks he’s annoyed that I’ve asked his input on something that I know he doesn’t have any idea of and doesn’t want to think about anymore. He trusts me to make a wise decision. He doesn’t mind giving final approval- or maybe he does. Only I, as his wife, usually knows how much input he wants in this monumental decision.
Now, I’m going to raise the hackles of any anti-Pearlites who might be reading (doubt they’d care to read anything I write but who knows). Debi Pearl’s (yes, flawed if you compare it to scripture!) book Created to Be His Helpmeet is one of my favorite books. I don’t agree with every word in it- hey, I don’t agree with a lot in it, but I agree with the attitude and tone. I agree with the concept that women need to focus on their role in marriage and let the men alone. Why is it ok for women to whine about how “he doesn’t love me like Jesus loves the church” but it’s not ok for guys to whine, “she just won’t back down and submit to my leadership”? I digress. That’s not what I’m referring to though.
I’ve heard a lot of arguments about how horrible her “three male types” are. People don’t like to read her caveats about how most men are combos and that it’s just a generality… they want to grab onto this or that and rip it to shreds and if that makes them happy, let them. I bought the book solely because finally someone acknowledged that GOD made my husband who he is, with his peculiar strengths, and that it isn’t a sin that he isn’t a carbon copy of Susie Spiritual’s paragon of a husband. I was so sick and tired of being blasted in every women’s meeting, lectureship, book, and such for not “stepping back” and “letting my husband be the leader”. Apparently, to these women, there is only one appropriately Biblical way to lead and if your man isn’t leading in that particular way, he’s either in rebellion to the Lord or has a harpie for a wife who won’t “let” him do his job.
What do we say to our childen when we tell them to clean their room and they say, “Johnny wouldn’t ‘let’ me?” I don’t know about you, but I say, “Johnny doesn’t have the ability to prevent you from doing what you know you’re supposed to. It might not be as effective but YOU have a job and YOU do it regardless of whether someone else is doing theirs or making yours harder.” Why does this not apply to men and women?
Knock it all you want, but the Mr. Steady description is dead on. My “steady” guy doesn’t want me to call and get permission before I buy pizza for dinner. He expects me to know if we can afford it and if so, and we need a meal, he expects me to do it. That IS his leadership and it’s insulting for me to expect him to act like Sally Spiritual’s husband just because someone somewhere has determined that only truly godly men behave in only this way and all other men are either lazy bums or have wives who won’t ‘let them’.
So Hail to my Chief. I don’t pretend to always have it all down right but I know that there is nothing more disrespectful that I could do than for me to quit being ‘trustworthy’ to keep things going the way HE wants them. Focusing on how “others” live out the principle is a great way to destroy the principle in favor of a method.
I rested. I was still. I was at peace.
For at least an hour or two while I napped anyway. Lots of ideas, projects, plans, swirled through my mind as I ticked off the days until Christmas Do I make this? How about that? What should I do about this?
Then, I sat down and took a deep breath and wondered. In 20 years, will I remember that I did this or didn’t do that? Some things, yes. I’d remember. Others- no way. I’d have no idea except maybe a nebulous thought that perhaps once I didn’t or was it that I thought I might not…
So, I’m going with what is in the “we always” that I can’t stand to think of going by the wayside. We’ll have peppermint bark and Hungarian coffee cake. We’ll have wrapped presents with bows and ribbons. We’ll have stockings but maybe not as exciting as usual.
We’ll take it easy and enjoy it all.
I was in denial.
Most of a week was lost to illness. I got a shipment email over a week after I ordered. One gift may not make it. I still don’t have some of the materials for one gift and I haven’t touched my part of it either. The housework I’d planned is still sitting there undone, and the ‘to do’ list is piling high.
And I made one trip to the store. That’s all I did, all day. Yes, I know I’m sick and can’t do what I want/need to do. I get that. However, I know how to delegate… I’ve been good at it for a long time. Why am I not delegating? ARGH.
So, with only five days of work left, I’m sitting here trying to decide what is important and what is just ‘my thing’. After all, if ‘my thing’ adds to our celebration and makes our holiday more joyous and is glorifying to God, then it should happen. However, if it is going to create an attitude in me that detracts from what this holiday is all about… well… I’d say that’s a good reason to skip it, wouldn’t you?
I failed.
Seriously, everything I attempted ended in failure. From the grandiose plan to get to the post office to ship this and that, to the goal to clean out a corner of my room, to the fairies I keep trying to make for Lorna and fail… I just truly messed them all up. I slept, didn’t write much, and then slept some more.
Being sick stinks. It takes over your life. It stops your productivity, affects your mental attitude, and in short, makes you miserable.
It’s kind of like sin isn’t it?
I prayed over my Christmas card list.
Isn’t it silly? All of these years I’ve had this list- I don’t always send the cards, but I do when I can. Tonight, I addressed some more cards and as I thought of the people, I began to pray…
I prayed for friends I’ve never met or haven’t seen in years. I prayed for family members who now ‘celebrate’ the holidays without their spouses. I prayed for church family and for all of their families.
It was a beautiful time. I thanked the Lord for those who are no longer with us and for the memories I have of them. I prayed for safe travels for everyone as they drive or fly to see loved ones. I thanked the Lord for neighbors who are a blessing, friends who stick closer than brothers, and brothers whose addresses I don’t even have!
As I slipped pictures into each envelope, I prayed that somehow, this little card would reach across the miles and be a hint of all we’d love to do and say if we could be there. I prayed that with each passing year, my gratitude for all the Lord has given us and taught me in the process, would be compounded exponentially.
Then, as I stamped the envelopes, stacked them, and put them on the shelf awaiting our silly little ‘update’ letter, I prayed that throughout the year, I’d remember this night and pull out that card list and pray for them again. It’s not a difficult thing to do. It blesses my socks off to do it. Why don’t I think of it more often?
