Now. We have a fireplace! Christmas can come!
Then again, that's the point about Christmas. It comes whether we're ready or not, just as a baby comes when it comes, ready or not. Christmas and babies don't wait for everything to be perfect. Here comes Christmas, which in this family usually brings joy, love and a mess, and some precious times of quiet and nurturing. Just like a baby.
It's never like it is in the adverts. It's not meant to be. Sadly, the grim stuff still goes on. I know of a particular story happening just now - I can't discuss it, because it's somebody else's story - where a family Christmas will be sadly disrupted. For those of us who pray,there is a lot of praying to be done for families this Christmas.
Now, I don't get along terribly well with St Paul. When I get to heaven (and I have it on good authority that they'll let me in, in spite of...) I mean to drop-kick him into the duckpond. John Wesley's going in next, and his mother. But Paul did write something that struck home with me when I was having a very rough time. He said something on the lines of 'rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep'.
There's always somebody rejoicing. There's always somebody weeping. Christmas, which is a time of so much celebration, is doubly hard for those who are grieving. What it comes to, then, is that we have to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep, both at the same time.
To do that, you need a big heart. May you feed your hearts this Christmas.
4 comments:
Very nice post today. Thank you.
I know exactly what you mean. I have a friend (25 years old, wife and three kids) who was just given less than six months to live. My childhood hero (my HS baseball coach) is very sick and may not last much longer. A young man was just struck and killed in a hit-and-run in our town and a coworker's wife lost twins at 8 1/2 months last week.
On the other hand, two friends are expecting babies this spring, a good friend just landed a full job teaching with me after years of substituting, my kids are happy and healthy, and Christmas is coming.
The best of the best and the worst of the worst, at the same time, all the time. Empathy is so important.
I'll be sure not to get caught having a beer with Paul after I sneak in the back gate of Heaven...I don't want to end up in the duck pond.
Hi.
Hey, go see the movie Saving Mr. Banks. It's really good.... and i have a few things to say about the author of Merry Poppins....
Omg, my ipad is messing uppppp. SO EFFING ANNOYING OH MY GOD. I WILL METIFORICALY DROP KICK MY PAD. IT HAS SCREWED UP SOOO MUCH. IT'S KILLING ME. slowly. painfully. It's murders me...
Anyway... *nervous laughter*
Merry Christmas. Happy New year
OH MY GOD.... I think my pad is getting old and croucity....
And I've always wanted to give James a good swift kick...but perhaps the duckpond would be better?! And yes, I know so many in grieving situations right now, here in the midst of all this joy - and like dear ducky Paul admonished - it's time to ask God to enlarge our hearts so that we can rejoice & weep with those who need it!
Happy Christmas, dear fellow ginger! :-)
I will try to send a photo of Juniper the bunny later.
Jonny, as I think I said in my e-mail - prayers offered. Any sort of grief is even harder at this time of year.
Sam - haven't seen it yet. I read some of the Mary Poppins books and they're nothing like the film.
Nina - James I can cope with, but Paul? Oh, and St Augustine. BTW, redheads look more beautiful than ever with tinsel halos.
The world needs big hearts now.
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