i have always spent Christmas just trying to capture the romance of the season, the smells, the sights, the sounds. i guess i have a theatrical, or cinematic enjoyment of the effects of Christmas. This year....i did not really get the opportunity to do that. Surprisingly it was one of the most blessed Christmases i have ever spent.
This year, Jason was home. In years past gas needs to be delivered during this busy travel season. No worries about how to get our celebrations squeezed in between 2 12hour shifts.
We were just able to be together. I did not realize how much that would change the season for us. In years past the kids had list, things things they wanted. This year not one child aside from the 2 year old, could think of anything they wanted! I wondered why this might be, but the realization came over me. They have us home caring for them they are content! Nothing of material could give them anything other than a fleeting pleasure, and they some how felt that. Amazing.
We never intend to have a very extravagant Christmas, not to many presents. We had our church bring a large box of groceries and gifts. They pulled in and dropped off this lovely gift, but before they even got back in there car to back out of the driveway another car from a separate anonymous group dropped off yet another similar load of gifts and food!! Jason and I just stood in the laundry room tearful and stared at each other speechless! One day after that our life group leader, good friend Jarod showed up with a gift from our Life group class. An Electric Medical lifting recliner for Jason!!!!!!!!!!
Unreal. What a praise worthy God that put in hearts to give us such extravagant gifts! The praise is His, and His alone. Our mail lady also came by Christmas Eve to bring yet more gifts and groceries from our community!!
When times are high like this is so easy to feel jubilant and Praise the Lord. But it also made me realize that, i have to remember to have the same heart of amazement, gratefulness, tearful, speechlessness when the blessings are not quite so sweet, or easy to bear! The Lord has started a work in us and it will not soon be finished but it continues to move and grow!
This New Year, we have been moved greatly by the Spirit. Jason and I have been reading out loud this book called "Radical"! It is making our hearts stronger in our convictions about a great many things. Realizing we had allowed ourselves to become comfortable with things we should not have. The Spirit is being poured out and our prayer are becoming more desperate for Him! That i must say( not to minimize the amazing things that have been done for us this season...some of which are not even mentioned here) was the best gift of the year.
1 comment:
Amazing! Miss you all!
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