Wednesday, December 24, 2008

This Creature Is A Stirring.

"Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse."

Well, this creature is going to town today - taking in a noon AA meeting and getting an attitude adjustment as a bonus. I haven't started my car in nearly a week and haven't done much more than poke my head out the door since then either. I even woke up an hour earlier than normal this morning. How can you tell I am chomping at the bit to get out the door?!

We usually have a pretty low key Christmas. Dearest one's folks will join us for dinner and the meal will be simple. Boxing day we will gather with his extended family and that should see upwards of 50 people come together. There will be laughing and eating and playing, too. Thankfully in the past year there have been no deaths in the immediate family. Dearest one's father has prayed the same prayer before meals our whole married life. I used to chortle inwardly at what seemed like a rote repitition. Used to get right up on my high horse about it and look down on him. These days, when dearest one's father, who has made it through 3 open heart surgeries and is still alive against all odds, prays, I think to myself about how this very well may be the last family gathering we hear his voice echo in our ears and those words that I once made fun of, have become something to cherish.

I won't be posting tomorrow.
I wish you all a very Merry Christmas.
The waiting will be over.
The Light will have broken through the darkness.
And they all said, "Thanks be to God."

5 comments:

Unknown said...

thank you for your most beautiful post and for all the posting you've done...thank you. Enjoy the prayer, the meeting and the joy!

Love,
G

Peter said...

Breathe cheerfully and with gratitude today, Hope.

Lou said...

The message at my church last night was Jesus's love healing a broken world, a broken home & a broken heart. It was a wonderful way to start our family Christmas.

Thanks for a lovely post.

Steve F. said...

My favorite portion of the Christmas story is how the most unusual people - "people who would normally not meet" - end up at the center of the story. Shepherds, wise men, innkeepers, a pregnant teenager and her husband-to-be...like us, folks who wouldn't meet up are drawn together by God's plan.

I love how God's plan works!

Jim said...

I love your ending on this one and your confession about your father-in-law's prayer. We all tend to "judge". It's just part of the thinking process, has its place as long as we don't take it into condemnation of the other fellow, and usually teaches us a lesson in its unweaving if we'll recive His voice in the matter.

The day after Christmas, as I type this, and now we walk forward into another year. God's blessings be abundant upon you and yours, my friend. He is: our life.....