Christmas - The one True gift

I'm learning a little bit about myself as I try and keep this blog.  And I'm annoyed at what I'm learning.  I'm not good at this chronological stuff.  And because I like to have all my ducks in a row, I am missing out on some incredible opportunities to share the daily and weekly miracles that are happening.  SO...I'm taking the pressure off me.  I'm just going to write.  I will eventually catch up...maybe...I hope.

It's 3 weeks after Christmas and all the decorations are finally packed away neatly in labeled containers in the attic.  Well my part is anyway.  There are 2 strands I can't reach in the trees and the big bulbs are still around the house.  Brian asked me this weekend if he could just paint the green wire white (our house is limestone) and leave them up year round?  I could care less, but considering the number of home association letters we received last year, it's same to assume that "they" might care.  I'm guessing those will come down this weekend...or next. :) 

I am sitting here thinking about Christmas.  And I am brought to tears by the simplicity of it this year. 
For those of you that didn't know, last Christmas - 2009, my dad was 2 months into radiation and chemo for stage 4 Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma in his throat.  He was very, very sick.  My mother was tired and seemed to be hanging on by a thread.  My middle sister, had recently flown back home to Alaska after spending the last 6 weeks here helping my parents.  My littlest sister had to run out early on Christmas day to make two Christmas's.  I'm not going to lie, it was hard, on many levels.
 
This year though, was different.  Again, on many levels.  This was not a rushing around, buying-anything-I-could-find-just-because-I-have-to-bring-a-gift type of Christmas for us.  For one, every dime we have is going towards bringing home Isaiah and Ruth so we didn't have the money just to spend.  But more importantly, this year was about family and spending time together, doing what we love. 


My family (minus my dad, my sister and her husband) at the trail of lights on Christmas night. 
And Yes, shockingly, we needed coats in South Texas.  For that night at least. :)

We played our favorite games, ate our favorite foods, and truly enjoyed one another.  It was the first time since high school that I stayed under my parents roof with 2 of my 3 siblings.  I beat my dad at Parcheesi, something I've wanted to so for almost 18 years!  I ate one too many, actually who I am kidding?!, I ate about 20 too many, of my sister's cookies.  (Suzie, please do NOT bring those powdered sugar thingies.  They are seriously evil!)  We were able to skype with Isaiah and Ruth on Christmas day from my parents house.  The foster parents had given them Santa hats and they were so proud of them!   

My family kept "popping" in for a quick hello and introduction.  I'm sure they were overwhelmed with all the strange faces, but my family is just so excited to meet them!  And I seriously can't figure out who is the most excited -their aunts, their grandparents or their great grandparents! :)  They sang us a Christmas song and thinking we could teach them a little history about the city they are coming to live in, we decided to sing them Feliz Navidad.   Of course, I don't speak a lick of Spanish, so my children and husband are tutoring me on the pronuncation and articulation of each word, prior to our skyping.  Well wouldn't you know it, Isaiah and Ruth knew the song - in English & Spanish and sang along!!  How awesome!  (And yes, I realized they already one upped me.)

But as I think about all of Christmas, I think my favorite memory will be looking over at my father as he made his Christmas dinner plate.  Gone was the port in his chest where his chemo was administered.  Gone was the single cup of tea that took 8 hours too drink.  Gone was the agitated, listless demeanor.  His plate had a little bit of everything with an extra helping of gravy, which he says, helps the food to go down. :)  Not only do I have my father back and the kids have a Pappy again, but God is truly restoring him...to all the Glory he was always meant to possess.  I can't wait to see where God takes him. :) 

As amazing as this Christmas was, I am beside myself excited for next year!  My parents had 2 grandchildren to love and adore this year.  Christmas 2011, my parents will have 6!!  That's triple the amount!  How crazy fun is that going to be?  Thanks to my sisters, there will be a precious one year old, an adorable 8 month old, a six year old, a 7 year old and 2 ten year old boys.  My parents having 4 kids is finally paying off in grandchildren. :) 
I'm sure we will be even more broke next year than we were this year, but you know,the latest gadgets and the designer clothes don't matter.  It's just stuff that I can't take to Heaven.  And it takes our time and attention away from the things that do matter - Family & Jesus.  Love, forgiveness, grace, kindness and compassion matter.  Serving others in a spirit of true humility is where our focus should be.  A selfless sacrifice - that is what Christmas truly is about. 

Though there is no visual evidence left inside that Christmas was here, there is a feeling deep within that never fully lets me release Christmas.  Not anymore.  Not now that I truly know my Savior -the Savior that was born into this broken world.  Because HE was the greatest gift ever given.  And it is a gift from God to Us!  Not to be unwrapped only on December 25th, and then put away and stored until Easter and maybe occasionally brought out in a crisis moment.  Jesus is a gift that can be unwrapped every minute of every day!
I know Christmas is past, but there are 11 months till next Christmas.  So I'm thinking of it this way, if I start practicing now, I know I'll have it down by Christmas 2011.  It really is simple, but it take lots of practice.  It requires us to look away from our self; to crucify our flesh (our desires and our wants) and pick up Jesus's cross and follow Him, whatever that might look like and wherever that might take us. 
As John Piper says,  we have to "look away from man, and look to God. Look to Christ. Look to the cross, the capstone of a life of obedience and love. Look at the resurrection. Look at the rule of Christ over the kings of the earth. And there may you see his infinite worth, and receive him as the treasure of your life!"

As I go through the coming months, this old familiar Christmas song takes on new meaning;

He rules the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of his righteousness
And wonders of his love

"And wonders of his love."  His love truly is a mystery.  One I don't question, yet I long to understand.  In an age where offense and grudges run rampant; where motives are ruled by selfish agendas, and unconditional love always seems to have conditions, it is hard for me to understand a pure, undefiled love that is given freely and in abundance.  Where NOTHING we do can make him love us anymore.  It is by Grace that HE loves us. 
If we could learn to love others just a fraction of the way God loves us, this world would have no orphans, the injustices that need fighting would diminish, the hungry would be fed and the naked would be clothed.  Hope would be restored to the hopeless.  It would be Christmas everyday!  I know it's not realistic now.  But there will be a day when this will be a reality.  So I will wait in anticipation for the coming of my King, for I know he is coming...soon....very soon.

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone.  Forgive as the LORD forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on LOVE, which binds them together in perfect unity."
Colossians 3:12-14