Comments on the Holidays

Merry Christmas everyone! My holiday has been really great this year. I hope yours is too. It wasn't just the gift giving that made it special. My family is some of the most amazing people I know. Spending time with them is something that I really cherish. My grandma, who is affectionately known as Grammy, is a very talented seamstress. Every year she makes all of the grankids a gift. This year, she passed out a white fabric bag with a red bow to all of us. Before we opened them, she said, "Your gifts are gold colored this year. We want you to know that no matter where you all go in life, you will always be worth more than gold to us." I got a small lump in my throat as I opened mine. Inside was a gold pillow in the shape of the letter K. My cousins all got a pillow with their initial as well. It's one of the best gifts I've ever gotten. This new year is going to bring some changes for all of us. Knowing that someone cares for you and will be there is a very comforting feeling.

Christmastime is Here

I really do love Christmas. Although this year, I feel like it's taken me longer to get into the Christmas spirit. Something has put a bit of a damper on it, and I'm quite sure what it is. Maybe it's the slue of commercials that have turned the holidays into one big shopping spree. I'm not denying the fact that Christmas does involve some form of shopping, but sometimes I feel that it's gotten out of hand. Or maybe it's because it hasn't snowed yet. I live in Ohio. In the snow belt. So where is it? I want to go skiing! Or it could be the fact that all my teachers decided to have tests and projects due during the last week before break. I just finished writing a 7-page literature analysis. Too. Many. Quotes. Don't worry, there is a point to this.

What I'm saying is that a lot of us have forgotten what the holidays are for. I mean, we all know it's to celebrate Jesus's birth, but it's a lot deeper than that. When Jesus was born, there was no Christmas tree. No fire burning in the fireplace, no holiday specials on TV. He was born in a barn. In a manger. Do you know what a manger is? It's a feed trough. Jesus was born in a box that animals eat out of. Speaking of animals, there would have been quite a few in that barn. So there's dirt. And straw. Manure and dust. It would have been filthy in there. This is where our Savior was born. A filthy, cold stable. It wasn't extravagant or flashy. It was humble. It was quiet. I think that this was an example of how we should celebrate Christmas. Keep it simple. I'm not saying don't get a tree or not decorate. I like those parts of it. If we remember what really happened that first Christmas, I think that it will help us not get so caught up.

Me Too

I decided to re-read a book I had read a couple of years ago. I wanted to really make sense of it, figure out what message the writer was trying to put across. Several pages in, a passage jumped out at me.

"Some of the most comforting words in the universe are "me too". That moment when you find out that your struggle is also someone else's struggle, that you're not alone, and that others have been down the same road."

I don't think there is any other phrase in the world that can affect people as much as this one can. To find out that someone understands what you are going through, because they've been there. They know what it's like. You have someone to share the weight with, or to take it off your shoulders. It's a sense of relief. My heart breaks for the people that believe that no one knows what they are struggling with. They won't reach out for help, and think that nobody cares.

Someone does care.

That someone fully understands your pain. They know the extent of the heartache, the sadness, the anger that has kept you tangled up all this time. The confusion that makes you unable to understand why this is happening. The loneliness and feeling like an outcast. That someone has been through it all. Has felt everything you have. There is help for you, and it's reaching out with a love more powerful than anything in this world. A love that cares for you with every fiber of its being.

Abba.

Thanks

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and in my family, that means going down to my grandparents' house. It means hanging out with all my cousins, getting shooed out of the kitchen by Grammy and eating a plethora of incredibly delicious food. Don't get me wrong, I like Thanksgiving, but this holiday has kind of lost its luster for me. We all say that we're thankful for our family, our friends, but I feel like there's no meaning behind it. We just say it because it's that time of year and it's what you do. All the advertisements on T.V seem ironic. They say, "Be thankful this year, it's the time of giving. Now go by this plasma screen 52 inch entertainment center! That's really giving!" Is this what our society has come to? An overdone, materialistic holiday season? It's a frightening prospect.

What you say you are thankful really shows what you feel is important. So this year, think very carefully about that. I have been so blessed this year by many things. It is my prayer that I don't forget that, and that you won't either.

Moments

Sometimes, we can be walking along, living our lives, when suddenly, something happens. You know that you will remember that moment for the rest of your life. I went down to my aunt and uncle's house this weekend and decided to take a walk in the woods by their house. I was listening to music, swishing through the leaves, just off my own world. I came upon a trail that ran along a creek bed, and being the curious person that I am, I started to walk down it. The trail dead ends but there is a bridge next to it that goes over the creek and takes you to the playground of an elementary school. There was a gate in front of the playground that was locked, so I just walked onto the bridge a little ways. Halfway across, I stopped dead in my tracks. On the railing of the bridge was a Peregrine Falcon with a mouse in its talons. The minute I saw the falcon, the song I was listening to ended, and everything was quiet. It was like God was telling me to take this all in. We looked at each other for a while. The falcon didn't seem to think I was a threat. I took a picture of it, and left it to eat its meal. While this may not seem like a life changing moment, it reminded me that sometimes the most simple things have the biggest impact. In our society, I think we forget that a lot. Money and material wealth don't satisfy, and never will. We need something bigger than ourselves.

A Shepherd's Staff

My all time favorite song is The House of God Forever by Jon Foreman. He is an amazing song writer, and you can really tell he puts a lot of thought and heart into his music. His faith inspires me every time I listen to his songs. The House of God Forever is basically Psalm 23 set to music. If you're not familiar with this Psalm, here it is:

"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

Of course, I think Jon Foreman's Bible is a different translation than mine because the song isn't this exact context, but the impact is exactly the same. It's beautiful. Calming. Emotional. Strong. Encouraging. Whenever I feel like nothing is going right or things are overwhelming, I listen to this song and every time a sense of peace comes over me. What a wonderful reminder this is. To know that God is always with us through all the bad stuff. He leads us along our journey, and makes us rest. That line really got me. Knowing that he wants to restore us and bring us up. It's such a comforting thought. We are not alone in this life. God's with us all the way. We don't have to be afraid! He knows us and loves us more than anyone. Nothing else matters but this.

Frustration

We all get frustrated. When things don't go our way, a problem we can't solve, (in my case, it would be my math homework), not being able to figure something out. There have been times when I've been really frustrated with people. Wondering if there are still good, decent people left in the world. Sometimes I feel like I have a hard time connecting with people. This week has reignited that frustration. After having a conversation with some acquaintances of mine, I discovered that their moral character was drastically different from what I thought it was. I was very disappointed, because I thought they were better than the people they were portraying through the words they were saying. It caused me to question my judgement of them. Had they been like this all along and I was too naive to notice? I started to lose my faith in people. I just sat and listened. I didn't open my mouth once, all the while growing more and more agitated. I couldn't believe it. How could someone so caring and kind do something so stupid and wrong? It just didn't make sense. I had no comments about what they said; probably because I've never been in any of the situations they were describing, and don't plan to be. I didn't like what I heard. I felt like I didn't have any influence. I was almost afraid to say something. I knew what I wanted to say: "How could you be so stupid?! Do want to mess up your life? You're very different from the person I thought you were. I don't know if I can trust you now." Now, this is the part where I felt like I hadn't made a connection with them. I love talking with people. Listening to their stories, finding out their likes, dislikes, dreams, passions. Really knowing them on a personal level. After talking with these people, I realized there was a whole other level to them that I didn't know about. It was as if it had been hiding, and all it took was one small action to bring it out of the shadows. I was shocked. It was like I didn't know them at all. Looking back on it, I think everyone has different levels to them. Some are happy and want to be seen, others are dark and are kept inside. It takes an enormous amount of trust for someone to show you all of their levels. That really says something if you make that connection.