Hope.
Joy.
Love.
Family.
Faith.
Friends.
Service.
Kindness.
Gratitude.
It’s been a good Christmas.
One thing missing makes me aware of my tendency to let an unfulfilled desire overwhelm all the good feelings.
Not today, Satan!!
The one thing I missed in a big way was gathering with my mom, five siblings and as many of their children and grandchildren and their families as possible.
Sometimes it doesn’t work out. We agreed this was one of those years. And we were grateful to know mom and the siblings and many of the extended families have been together at least twice since last Christmas’s big gathering. There’s no reason to think we won’t all be together again before next Christmas.
And still, as I thought and wrote about attending a Christmas Eve worship service in Gainesville with my husband and my sister and much of her family, and spending Christmas Day in McKinney with my husband’s family, I felt a bit of sadness or regret about not also sharing the love and joy and food and fun gift exchange with the rest of my clan, including my mom who was visiting two of my sisters in Oklahoma. There’s something special about this time of year.
I’m grateful to love them and love being around them enough to miss sharing the holiday with them.
A positive outcome of the break from tradition was to appreciate what was missing. And it also brought renewed awareness and appreciation for the things that remained.
There were also a couple of other components missing from my dream Christmas. I didn’t do anything to directly show God’s love to a stranger. And other than Facebook and the church services, I did not share moments with friends. Oh, and there was still nowhere near enough focus on the Gospel message of Christmas in narrative, prayer and song.
If that seems like more negatives than positives, I disagree. Every shortcoming, missed opportunity or unfulfilled hope is a chance to learn and grow. Sometimes the growth comes from accepting I won’t always get what I want. Accepting this reality gracefully is a gift in itself. I’ll be 60 years old in March, and I still have a lot to learn in that regard.
My goal this Christmas was the same as what has become my daily goal:
Breathe.
Pray.
Trust God.
Be present.
Don’t take life (or blessings) for granted.
Express gratitude.
Show love.
Give service.
Encourage others.
Thank God.
If I take the gifts and spirit of Christmas into each day, I can be confident I’ll learn and grow.
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