Reflection

And be ye thankful…..

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful……..

Today is a day to celebrate our blessings and lift our thanks to the Lord. Some of us will be gathered with loved ones around a beautiful table laden with all kinds of wonderful food. There will be laughter and noise and activity, and all the anticipation that accompanies a great meal. Others will be gathered where they really don’t want to be, eating someone else’s cooking when they would rather be eating their own. Let’s just be honest here.

I am very picky about my stuffing. I don’t want grey paste, I want something resembling the cornbread it once was, light and fluffy. And I don’t want giblets in it, thank you very much. And my turkey must be moist, not like the one in Christmas Vacation.

As much as we would all love to have that Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving Day, for most of us it won’t be a reality. And that’s okay. The thankfulness that beats in my heart today has nothing to do with a meal. It has to do with everything He has given me. Has given me, all my life.

I am spending the day at work because I opted for Christmas off.  

As much as I don’t want to admit it, there is always sadness attached to any holiday where I can’t have everyone I love in the same place at the same time. But there will be a dinner served here and I will enjoy it with some dear co-workers. All of us in the same boat. But all of us thankful.

My prayers will be with all those I love today. I pray that there will be peace and harmony and the Holy Spirit will do what He does best and bind together what has been broken in the past.

One thing that warms my heart today is that when my Mom was talking to my niece yesterday, she asked her what she remembers about Thanksgiving since she is not with them every year. I can see her expression and how she must have looked  when she said, “Eat…….” pause……and then she folded her hands and said thoughtfully,

“Pray” that’s when my heart seized up. She remembered.

Best answer she could have given.

Slowing Down

“Slow down. Take a deep breath. What’s the hurry? Why wear yourself out? Just what are you after anyway? But you say, ‘I can’t help it. I’m addicted to alien gods. I can’t quit.’ Jeremiah 2:25

Every year it happens. Either I am driving on the freeway or in a store and there will be a moment when I make a conscious decision not to join in the madness that seems to be picking up tempo all around me.

My heart beat slows…. I take a step back. It happened this past weekend when I was driving on the freeway and I had to slam on my brakes because people were driving even crazier than usual. I realized the fever pitch had started. Speed bump number one.

Then at the Mall, it happened again when I saw Santa’s Village already set up taking pictures of the kids. I don’t remember them starting that early last year. I saw Santa sprawled spread eagle in the chair looking bored to tears while the “elves” were like circus barkers trolling for customers. Really? I asked the same question I ask myself each year.

This is Christmas?  Speed bump number two.

And last night I had the mute button all ready for when the decibel level went through the roof on the commercials.

Don’t get me wrong, nobody loves Christmas more than I do. I totally get into decorating the house and doing the baking, and I do love to buy gifts, but I don’t go crazy.  And I will deck the halls and love every minute of it. There will be a tree in every room. In my bedroom, the tabletop Victorian, and in the office, the Southwestern tree. And Elaine has an ocean tree, decorated with while lights, mermaids, and shells. 

And in the kitchen, a tiny tree with plastic snowmen and snowflakes and other Christmasey type things. Have to be careful with that one, the lights are old and very hot and if it fell next to something flammable it would be a tiki torch in no time.

And then there is the main tree, which is a pre-lit 8 foot we found in a Costco return line one year….I am always amazed when the lights come back on each year. One year I threw my back out trying to stuff it back in the storage container. The first two sections were no problem, it was the last (fat) section that did it.

Never again will I try to do that alone.

Advent is coming…..I feel it in my heart. I am slowing down. I will make peace with whatever doesn’t get done. I will not succumb to the alien gods of commercialism run rampant. I will however, enjoy every little moment God gives me before the calendar turns over yet again.

It will be over all too soon.