May Our Tree Shines Bright

Thinking still on waiting and on hope.

Have you heard why we put lights on our Christmas Trees? History.com says this,

It is a widely held belief that Martin Luther, the 16th-century Protestant reformer, first added lighted candles to a tree. Walking toward his home one winter evening, composing a sermon, he was awed by the brilliance of stars twinkling amidst evergreens. To recapture the scene for his family, he erected a tree in the main room and wired its branches with lighted candles.

Whether it is true or not that he was the first, I think we can believe the story or at least the sentiment. God's creation is beautiful and inspiring. It wells up in us the desire to capture it and share it, although nothing can adequately mimic the our experience in God's creation, we long to share it, sing of it, capture it.

As our hearts indulge in the strange joy of our lit Christmas trees, somehow stirring up a remembering year's past and longing for newness in the celebrations ahead and a contentment all the while. Our Christmas lights remind us of the stars who were sung into existence at the beginning of time but the powerful and mysterious breath of our Creator. They have seen generations of newness, of death, of war, of peace; they have been guiding lights and marked countless days. They shone brightly and stood as a guide to a Savior. They will stand as guards in the night well after each of us have passed from this earth.

As we look up into the night sky or at the twinkling of our tree's lights, may the depths of our heart long for that day when the stars great light will be needed no more. May we look into the stars and into the varied holiday orbs and have a spark of hope thinking towards the day that we will have no need of light or lamp or sun.

And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there.

What a glorious tradition we have! Hung on the evergreen trees as timeless as this earth can muster, a reminder that life in Christ is forever more. Twinkling on the trees, wrapped on every branch, a reminder of the heavens that were and are and will be made new. There stands in our living room a living reminder of hope and joy. May our hearts not be lost in the tradition, but be sparked with a flame of hope, of joy, of peace as we close the year behind and begin a new one. May our hearts be filled with thanksgiving and with sparks hope and perseverance because the day of rejoicing may be long away. But today, as I look at the lights I have hope and awe; somehow they envelop the past, the present and the future and strike a mysterious contented hope for the days ahead.

On Waiting This Advent Season

Twas the Night after Thanksgiving and all through the house,

lay a mess of all sorts and a hardworking spouse.

He was unpacking each stocking and ornament with care,

Yelling "Stop that..Not that one..that doesn't go there!"

Each young child, excited, doing whatever popped into their mind,

stressing their poor Father who tried only to be kind.

Their mother laid on the couch, not moving an inch,

Remembering last year's Cindy Lou Who from the Grinch,

wishing something could change this year's circumstances, so

she said a prayer for help and watched her heart grow.

From contentment to Thanksgiving complete

Her mind renewed could fathom, "What a treat!"

"I am not worse though I am not well,

Let me think of the good and not on the sad dwell!

My children are happy and the house is the same,

even if there is a mess at every doorframe!" ;)

If you got through that, thank you for indulging the time I have on my hands! Last week, I had an injury and it has caused me to be off my feet for about a week and a half so far. I am very hopeful to be able to walk by this coming weekend, but only time will tell. Until that day comes, I fight for Thanksgiving.

A week and half is a short time to be knocked off my feet, but substantial none the less. The time that I haven’t been able to walk has spanned Thanksgiving preparations, travel, celebration, recovery, and a week off of school for four children. I missed planned crafts, planned baking, planned moments. Now Garrett handles the hustle and bustle of preparing the children for school each morning as I watch with longing and sadness in my heart. I long to pick Margaret out of her crib and rock her in those earliest of moments of her day. I long to chase Betsy down so I can comb her hair and pull back the wild bangs. I long to make Hastings his second bowl of cereal instead of needing his help of bringing me a cushion for my leg so I can sit and watch the morning chaos pass me by. Trace has since gone to school as he has the earliest bell. Garrett lets me sleep in since I don't sleep well with the pain.

This won’t last too much longer. I can move my toes and foot again, even if not fully. I wait.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick.

As the Christmas season is upon us, I have experienced a bit of that sick heart. I have mourned not spending the holidays as I imagined. I have mourned my children's holiday not being what I planned. I have lost control of how this past holiday week played out. I have missed events that have become traditions as well as holiday celebrations that I was enthusiastically anticipating. I watched as all the decoration boxes were brought out of the attic and into an untidy house. A thought runs through my mind, "When I can walk, I will put this thing in the garland....I will put the ribbon on the tree as soon as I can get up...I so look forward to picking up all this laundry..." I wait. I wait for movement. I wait until I can flex my foot. I wait to be healed.

In God's Providence, He has cause me to enter this Advent season with my own heart of waiting. I wait for healing in my leg, I wait to prepare a comfortable place of home for us, I wait to be able to serve my family once again, I wait to be able to join in fellowship with others. I wait...

I join in the ancient waiting of the God's people through out history. First in the waiting of a King to fight for and redeem His people from their enemies. A King to reclaim their land and their name. A king to reclaim and revive His people's hearts. In a foretold moment, a long anticipated blink, that King arrived as an infant babe and then a crucified and later Risen Savior; His people awaiting His magnificent return. A return of a King that reclaim a lost and broken world, that will revive longing hearts, that will reclaim a kingdom established long ago. The return of the King will make all things new, will fulfill every longing heart, wipe away every tear. The return of the King will erase poverty, sickness, sadness, and death. And so we wait..knowing that He HAS come and that He WILL return.

As I wait for my leg to heal and to partake again in the normal daily life of our home, I learn to live in the now, broken as I am, while also not losing heart because a new day is coming. I join in the heart's remembering and longing for the return of the God King, Jesus Christ. Who will heal broken hearts (and legs) and this broken world, who will call us up together to be in fellowship with Him and His father, the creator of all. I pray we are not hindered by the trivial longings of this earth, but that God would use them to shape our hearts in the lost practice of waiting. May our hearts be stirred to join the ancient waiting, the ancestral longing. May our hearts be knit together as we both partake in and learn how to wait. I don't know that is comes naturally to our hearts and minds

It will be said on that day, "Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation."

I will leave whoever has made is this far with pictures from the joyful time we had in Louisiana at Thanksgiving. I may have been in awful pain and anxiety every time one of the many children got close to me in fear they may touch my leg, but it was joyful none the less! Gathering with so many loved ones was a gift.

Come, Thou long expected Jesus Born to set Thy people free; From our fears and sins release us, Let us find our rest in Thee. Israel's strength and consolation, Hope of all the earth Thou art; Dear desire of every nation, Joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver, Born a child and yet a King, Born to reign in us forever, Now Thy gracious kingdom bring. By Thine own eternal Spirit Rule in all our hearts alone; By Thine all sufficient merit, Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

By Thine all sufficient merit, Raise us to Thy glorious throne

Nap Time Thoughts on Faithfulness

I got a new computer for Mother's Day. It was a loooong time coming. I have been so grateful through the year's for Garrett's computer. It was from 2011 and served a high purpose as I started doing real estate and my computer bit the dust a few year's earlier. However, it was processing slowly and so after almost four years of many, many documents - I got the green light to make that investment. Cheers to more quickly helping my clients and 10x less frustrations and choice words as I email, upload and disperse documents.

Newness brings excitement. That bubbling under the surface, crisp feeling of a new season, and peaceful anticipation of what is next. It reminds me of when the house has been completely cleaned and organized and no one is moving and the thoughts of a new clean way of life creep in (quite a change from the norm of 6 people running in and out, dumping what they just finished and pulling something else out). My new computer lends to so many new ideas.

One idea being that maybe I can gather and process my thoughts a little more quickly. Lord willing that will happen, but it won't be because I have a new computer. It isn't the NEW that will bring consistency but it will be continuing despite the lack of NEW. It will be commitment despite circumstances. It will be the push instead of the rest; the mustering up of resolve instead of the putting away until tomorrow.

It will take discipline and faithfulness. As I sit during my children's "quiet time," and reflect a little on those two traits - disciple and faithfulness - I am reminded how much I am not like God. He is such a strong figure of commitment, steadfastness, and reliability. He is the eternal reigning from age to age. He doesn't need to put away until tomorrow because He doesn't slumber or sleep. He doesn't change. His will stands.

I am reminded of the verse in II Corinthians 3. As we look towards and know Christ, we are transformed into His image, we bear His glory. As we abide in Him, His spirit faithfully does a work. My season of craziness may not change anytime soon, but my heart and the way I live out these crazy seasons can change because we hope in a faithful God who will carry out His promises. As I rely on and abide in the one who wills and carries out the work in our hearts and in our lives, His hand will sustain me and transform me. Praise God that the work He began in us WILL BE completed.

May we ever more be like Him whose steadfast love never ceases, whose promises will never be broken and whose work will be finished.