Merry Christmas

This year we are going to focus on the true meaning of Christmas... we've said that so many times- that we are going to pare down, to give more, with a joyful heart. That we will stay slow, and lay low so that we can cherish every second of the season and focus more on what really matters.

Each year we start out with the goal, but party invitations and perfect gift ideas that become an obsessed quest for that one thing tend to take over quickly.  Our desire to bless the people we love with a little bit of extravagance takes our eyes off of the most extravagant of Gifts.  We don't say "No" even when we should- and we become frantic, shopping laden, traffic fighters.  The entire season that is Advent turns into mayhem.  We only get one season a year when twinkle lights are hung, strangers smile a little bit wider and sweet songs play in our heads all day long.  We bake our children's favorite treats, and pull tissue-wrapped memories out of boxes.

This year it's all wrapped up in a little tree for us.  We have been blessed to receive so much from the people whom God has brought into our lives during our move to Africa.  But the normal goals of my Christmas season, like waiting until after Thanksgiving to play Christmas music or put up a tree, got chucked out the window when we spent the season in a place that doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving.  So- we give thanks daily.  Christmas may not be 'normal' but it will be full of love, and the 'normal' Christmas delights have blessed us every single day leading up to it.  So November had Christmas music and red paper napkins, and one strand of twinkly light that made my smile a little bit wider!

Aaron brought home our little tree while I was cooking a Thanksgiving meal to be shared with dear friends.  Dear people whom we met 116 days ago, as they walked into school fresh off the plane with 2 sweet babies who will be more African than American, even with their blonde curls and blue eyes.  As I was cooking that meal to be shared in Thanksgiving, Jesse came into the kitchen and got the aluminum foil- a precious commodity and I asked why.  He so matter of factly said- I have to make the nail.

So on a day of thanks, when my heart was struggling to say thanks, my 14 year old boy, called onto the mission field by God, only to learn that it would be a 3 year journey to get there- reminds me of the only part that matters.  The tree, which became the cross, into which my Savior was nailed.  His shed blood.  For me. Even under the candy canes and hair bows and the one stray ornament that they found in a box of donations to students at the school, Jesse saw the cross in our tree.  In the U.S, we had a steel nail that was the first ornament hung each year.  It's all that we need on our tree this Christmas-and I had forgotten.

The cross.  The nail.  What makes our heart smile on the darkest days, and what makes the bad dreams and fever that come when we're days from our flight not so bad.

Thank you Lord for giving us your Son.  Thank you for the life that I have received because of Christ, whom I asked into my heart alongside a step-father when I was 6.  A man whom I haven't seen or heard from in 10 years, and yet he led me to the Cross of Christ and prayed alongside me as I prayed a prayer that changed my life forever.  Its been 33 years now that I have been cherished, loved, protected and provided for by my Savior, Jesus Christ.  Celebrating His birth once a year isn't nearly enough.  A celebration of Him, praising Him with music, enjoying the little things that He gives- the twinkle lights and extravagance that is lavished upon us through His Grace.  Tradition isn't happening this year, but celebration is! 
Thank you Lord for giving us your Son, a reason to Celebrate with all that is within us.