Christmas – Among the Pots and Pans

November 24, 2022

Giving Thanks, Then and Now

As Thanksgiving winds down, I am realizing that for the first time in two years, I am excited about the holiday season. The years 2020 and 2021 were challenging and traumatic for everyone, and my family had its share of personal sorrows and worries. My mom passed away in October, 2020 and my mother-in-law in February, 2021. My husband John had open heart surgery in September, 2021, during our state’s worst COVID-19 surge. Needless to say, we were almost too exhausted to be merry.

But this year, the childlike excitement is returning. While Thanksgiving dinner was in the oven, I began putting up the Christmas decorations. I have a yearning to listen to Christmas music. I keep pointing out to John how cute our decorations look. This Thanksgiving, I’m grateful and relieved to be emerging from the darkest shadows of grief. Bittersweet feelings are still there, but joy abounds as well!

This morning, I carefully lay a strand of Christmas lights behind mementos that we keep on the fireplace mantel. There’s the set of bowls my mom gave us a few Christmases ago. Here are the hummingbird feeders John’s daughter gave us. And here is a tiny bear figurine — I love bears — that I bought for myself.

Each item is a reminder of treasured memories and people. Joys and sorrows. Gratitude for the way God sees us through the good and the not so good times.

“Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far the Lord has helped us.’” 1 Samuel 7:12 (NIV)

I think of the stone that the prophet Samuel placed as a memorial to God’s faithfulness and protection. The stone was called Ebenezer, and it symbolized God’s help in victory on the battlefield. But even if we have never fought in actual combat, we face other kinds of battles — anxiety, grief, overwhelm, discouragement, pandemic, job loss. In the midst of these struggles, we can feel alone and defeated. We may wonder if we’ll ever laugh or celebrate again.

As I look at the mementos that sit on our mantel, I realize that each one is a kind of memorial stone. They remind me of how God brings joy, laughter and love — and how He carries us through grief and worry.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.” Psalm 136:1 (NIV)

This year, as I savor the sights and sounds of Christmas, I will indulge in my childlike excitement. The holidays are still tinged with sadness, but the sense of wonder and adoration for the Christ child envelops us. I will remember God’s faithfulness in years past and give thanks that His love endures forever.

December 30, 2019

Monday Eye-Opener: Near to All Who Call

As we look forward to the New Year and Epiphany, I carry favorite words and phrases of Advent in my heart. One of them is “Immanuel.” I remember singing the word “Immanuel” in Christmas carols as a child, and thinking it was such a pretty word. I didn’t know that it meant “God with us,” but I still loved to sing that word in Hark the Herald Angels Sing!. Now that I know the meaning of the word, I treasure it even more.

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14 (NIV)

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 (ESV)

“God with us.” Not just this Monday morning, but always and everywhere. His grace and truth leading us, following us, surrounding us.

“The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.” Psalm 145:18

God is nearer still when we call upon Him. He is within us when we call upon him “in truth” — sincerely and confidently.

“Oh come, oh come, Immanuel,” we sang in the weeks leading up to Christmas, “and ransom captive Israel.” Ransom our hearts and minds as well, from whatever holds us captive — worry, illness, anger, loneliness, or simply the dread of a new week. We earnestly call upon You, grateful for the knowledge that You were born in a dark time, but overcame the darkness.

Let’s recall the word “Immanuel” often and with gratitude as we approach a new year.
Peace!

December 26, 2019

Ready and Unsteady

At my church’s Christmas Eve service last night, we recited a call to worship that I needed to hear. It was Madeleine L’Engle’s First Coming, which begins:

He did not wait till the world was ready,
till men and nations were at peace.
He came when the Heavens were unsteady,
and prisoners cried out for release.

As we recited these lines, my thoughts immediately turned toward national and global issues: international conflict, refugees, climate change. I had needed that reminder that God sent his Son in a time of deep anguish. Jesus walked among us as we were, not as He hoped we would be.

But during my quiet time today, it occurred to me that L’Engle’s poem also speaks to me as an individual. How many times have I shied away from a prompting or calling, feeling “unsteady” and certainly not “ready”? But we have a God who works in us when we step into God’s plan.

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6 (NASB)

It defies conventional wisdom, doesn’t it? So many times we are required to pass a test, prove our qualifications, list our experiences, produce references. It’s no wonder that we shrug off that calling, assuming that God “can’t mean me.”

This year, I’ve challenged myself to follow those promptings. I began the formation process and took my novice vows for the Order of Ecumenical Franciscans. I volunteered to teach an adult Sunday School class. After months — years, actually — of discernment, I am considering training to become a spiritual director.

“The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.” Psalm 37:23 (NLT)

Do I feel qualified to do by of these things? Nope. For now I will rest in the knowledge that God’s perspective is a heck of a lot better than mine. If I am correctly discerning a calling, the necessary guidance and pathways will be there if I cooperate. And God’s loving course corrections will keep me moving toward His purpose for my life.

So take heart in God’s purpose for your life. As Madeleine L’Engle wrote,

“We cannot wait till the world is sane
to raise our songs with joyful voice.”

Season’s blessings to you!

December 20, 2014December 29, 2014

Compassion Bloggers: Precious Gifts

Poinsettia — Image by Marit & Toomas Hinnosaar, on Flickr

The Christmas season can trigger a variety of memories and emotions — some bittersweet. As we anticipate the joyful arrival of the infant Jesus into our homes, we are surprised when the shorter days darken our moods. We are disappointed to find ourselves feeling exhausted just when we are supposed to feel cheerful and inspired. We avoid much needed rest because we want to go the extra mile to make the season “perfect” for our families, our friends, ourselves.

I tend to find comfort and inspiration from nature — especially plants and flowers. I am encouraged when I remember a few facts about the poinsettia, one of the most popular symbols of the Christmas season. Its showy, red petal-like leaves or bracts decorate homes, offices and churches between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Those brilliant colors are only possible if the plant gets enough hours of rest — total darkness, in fact — from September through at least mid-November. The uninterrupted hours of darkness trigger the colorful bract formation and turn the poinsettia into the familiar holiday symbol.

I remember the poinsettia when I catch myself postponing much needed rest, solitude or quiet. I remember to honor the cues that tell me to look within, to close my eyes and retreat from the lights, the trimmings and the to-do lists. I realize that rest and regeneration — the good stuff — sometimes need darkness to carry out their work.

Advents kranz — Image by Pete Jeliffe, on Flickr

When I look within, I remember the quiet joy that comes with the first dawn of Christmas. I remember that the glory of Christmas began with a child in the humblest of circumstances. I think fondly of the child I sponsor through Compassion International and pray that the light from the Christ child will greet her early, before the sun rises on Christmas morning.

The beauty of nature brings many gifts, whether they are life lessons, pretty colors, or a bountiful harvest. Garden seeds, for example, can save a family from hunger or provide an income from crops. You can share this and other precious gifts from the Compassion International Gift Catalog with a child or family in the poorest areas of the world. I hope you’ll consider looking over the catalog.

Wishing you the light and love of the Christmas season!

December 29, 2013December 29, 2013

Stones in the Sacred Spaces

Christmas week had been exceptionally busy at our house. As we finished our holiday baking and gift-wrapping, I was studying and taking a test that I prayed would lead to a new job. And finally, we all came down with a stubborn cold that left us feeling exhausted.

On this last Sunday of the year, John suggested that we take a break and drive to the San Antonio Missions Trail. We visited Mission Espada and Mission San Juan Capistrano. All four of the eighteenth-century missions are active parishes, and we were blessed to hear singing from inside the church as we stood outside Mission Espada.

“For inquire, please, of bygone ages, and consider what the fathers have searched out. For we are but of yesterday and know nothing, for our days on earth are a shadow. Will they not teach you and tell you and utter words out of their understanding?” Job 8:8-10 (ESV)

As we quietly strolled the grounds, we drank in the stillness of the Sunday morning, broken only by the voices singing “O Come All Ye Faithful.” Sunshine broke through the overcast sky as I reflected on the anxieties as well as blessings of the past week.

It had been a long, discouraging search for a job. As the sun poured through breaks in the ancient walls of Mission Espada, I thanked God for the rays of hope that poured in when I learned that I had passed the test and could begin working. I gave thanks that my husband was healing from a May spinal surgery, and that my mom and I had enjoyed yet another Christmas decorating season.

Mission San Juan Capistrano was our second stop. We walked through more archways and walls until we found this view of the church.

When I walk through a historical site, I tend to feel a close connection with those who went before us. The stones in these mission walls hold the histories and stories of those who labored to build the missions, and those who keep these sacred spaces alive in the twenty-first century. We felt especially blessed to be here during this Christmas season, as we give thanks and look forward to the new year.

“Your own ears will hear him.
Right behind you a voice will say,
“This is the way you should go,”
whether to the right or to the left.” Isaiah 30:21 (NLT)

December 12, 2011

Multitude Monday: 32-39

It’s been a while since I last posted my gratitude list…can’t wait to get started again! Our new apartment brings many reasons for gratitude, and I am happy to share.

Thank you as always to A Holy Experience for hosting One Thousand Gifts: Multitudes on Mondays.

This week, I am grateful for:

32) Our new apartment, which is more beautiful than any place I could have pictured myself living.

33) A few years ago, my mother and I struggled through a period of homelessness and living in shelters. I am grateful that those years led me to the Lord, and gave me the opportunity to serve other homeless women.

34) Christmas decorations! For the first time in several years, I am decorating my home with my own decorations for Christmas. My mom and I had fun shopping in the Christmas aisles today, and my husband and I enjoyed putting up the wreath on our door and taking pictures.

wreath 3 — Decorating our terrace with pretty red garland!

35) Fall and winter gardens in south Texas. Had a chance to sample tomatoes from my mother-in-law’s garden today. Couldn’t do that when I lived in New Hampshire!

36) Panettone, my favorite Italian Christmas bread. My mom bought some today, and we all enjoyed it with coffee this afternoon.

37) My husband’s new creative venture — clay sculpting. I haven’t worked with clay in a while…hubby was having so much fun working with it, it looks like I’ll be picking up some clay, too.

38) New clothes today! Picked up a new pair of black jeans — always have to have my black jeans.

39) The chance to take my mom out for lunch today. Really, really crowded, but the cheeseburgers were worth it!

I hope you’ll savor some quiet time with your gratitude list. And won’t you share it at Multitudes on Mondays?