Thank Goodness for Pink Eye!

I must say that I truly love the Christmas Season. It seems like this year, more than ever, we have focused on worshipping the Lord. I have enjoyed spending time with Him and trusting in His grace through the man-made hecticness of Christmas. It was in that grace that the Lord decided to give my youngest child the pink eye this morning....Yes, I am thankful for pink eye! As it seems, her pink eye was virtually unoticed to her. And since we couldn't take her out and expose other kids, we had the "responsibility" to do absolutely nothing...we watched movies, played outside, crafted, sewed, and ordered pizza. Whew...What a day :)

"He maketh me to lie down in green pastures" Ps 23

Simplifying Christmas

Well, like so many of you, I too am attempting to simplify Christmas. We've scaled back the decorations and spent more time actually playing with our nativity scenes than before. We've used the Jesse Tree this year, and have loved it. Although, we are only doing a simplified version of that as well (making a different ornament every day seemed a little much for a three and five year old). We only buy three presents for each of the girls (gold, frankincense and myrrh) so the shopping is already easy.

But what is the real reason for simplifying? Do I need more time to rest (of course!), Do I want more family time? (doesn't everyone?), Do I want to invest in more meaningful family traditions? (sounds great!) What about taking care of those in need (that's Biblical!).....I am chosing to simplify so that I can spend more time worshipping my King this season. I believe that He wants us to worship, to spend time with Him, to adore Him and to make it a priority.

Trust Me

I had surgery this week to remove some cancer (melanoma) that was found on my hip. The idea of a four inch scar across my hip was of no concern to me. It was the needles and the cutting of my flesh, however, that caused my knees to weaken and my stomach to turn. Now, so many surgeries make this look like a scrapped knee, I know. But, I do not like needles, and God had a lesson for me to learn.

I found myself trusting God for my overall future (the cancer). I had entrusted my life to Him many times before and, after all, I am His. I claim no will of my own except what He has in store for me. It was easy to, once again, put my future in His hands and trust Him for the "big things". It did however, take me a little longer to trust Him for the little things (the pain of those needles, the nausea, the fainting!).

Isn't God good. Isn't He SUFFICIENT, isn't He gracious and comforting. Isn't He gentle and longsuffering. In Christ alone, I stand.

I am enormously gratelful for this gapping hole in my hip. I 'm thankful for the way my Jesus drew me close to Him in the week beforehand. I am thankful for the way He gave me strength and peace previous to the surgery. And I am thankful for the overwhelming way in which He was present with me during the surgery. I am thankful for how He used my circumstances to draw me close to Him. It was well worth that surgery and the pain I endure now (Brandon just cleaned the wound), for that hour alone with my Jesus, in worship of who He is and His perfecting, maturing will.

The surgery went well and the doctors "think" they removed all of the cancer. I will find out some time this week if the margin removed contained all of the cancerous cells or if there will need to be additional surgeries.

It Is Over....

Well, Christmas is over. And I must admit that instead of the usual sigh of relief and rush to return my house to the "usual order" of things, making room in the living room again once the tree is gone, clearing the counters of snowmen and nativities, seeing the girls's dresser tops again once the plastic nativities are put away.....this year, it was not at all relief that I felt. This year I felt a sadness, a solemn reverence for the significance of the time I had spent alone with my Jesus in remembrance of His incarnation.

This time, as I replaced the newspaper wrappings around the ceramic wise men from my nativity scene, I thought of their wonder at a King who would teach them and save them. I thought of their travels for months through trecherous deserts to reach the appointed place. I had tears in my eyes as I wrapped the earthly parents. How obedient and trusting Mary and Joseph had been! I thought of the inconvenience of such a birth. Maybe Mary had planned on teaching or sharing her faith with young women and making a "difference". Now, people will see her, with a child what will they say? or think?? I appreciated their dedication to obedience despite the fact that their claim regarding this birth probably seemed proposterous to most.

As, I wrapped the shepherds, I was thankful at God's choice to include them in this glorious night. Shepherds who smelled of sheep came to touch and worship the King. Would Mary allow these dirty uneducated people to enter her birthing room and expose themselves to her new little baby? I believe she welcomed them with as much right as she herself stood before that little manger. I believe they all worshipped the King of Kings that night, I believe they all pondered the Priest of Priests, I believe that they all honored His Sacrifice of all Sacrifices. God is human flesh.

Those same little fingers that wrapped around Mary's finger that night would be the same fingers that would heal the blind or string through the hair of the children he taught. Those same fingers would later drop with blood as He took on all my sins, took them on as His own. All the selfishness, all the anger, all the gossip, all the impatience, all the actions that are so opposite to His nature were laid on Him as His own, so that I might be clean before the Heavenly Father....whew! That is just such an overwhelming love. Who can know it?

I know it! I appreciate it. I wonder at a God who would love me, as I am. I marvel at His righteousness and His perfection. I am moved and compelled in an overwhleming way to worship the King. Oh, how they must have been moved that night.......I don't want to wait until next year to experience the wonder of Christmas again. For me, it's not over.