Tuesday, December 10, 2013

'Tis the season' and more reasons ~2013


Christmas Tidings of Great Joy!
2013, December

Today, after church services, it was snowing!! and is the first snowfall of the winter of 2013 and I am pretty sure not the last. ( although last winter had a pretty poor showing in the snowy mix category.) 


 Speaking of last Christmas, let's just get all pleasantries out of the way and say that God is amazing. I am not referring only to His gift of Jesus Christ to be born, live among men, then die and return to heaven...just for us to have our sins atoned for. Nope, I am also referring to His work in my own personal life on an intimate, personal level.

 My life has been rather 'out there' for all of my friends and family to know-no secrets or ghosts in my closet-just a bunch of outdated clothes and old fashioned things to discard.( a work in progress ) 

After praying almost daily for my former beloved husband's return and restoration to the family, I was able to see God work in a way that was surprisingly simple, last Christmas.

 As I drove to Charleston, SC to spend last Christmas holidays with Paul, Allison, Isabel , Ava and Luke, David flew into Philadelphia, by way of Charleston and New Mexico, and reappeared on the horizon. I have not seen or spoken to him, but I prayed fervently and often for the children to be restored to their father in some way, and that has been happening. Nothing takes away bitterness or anger better than loving someone enough to pray for their life to be blessed and a blessing.
 Should you be a praying person, believing as I do that God does all things well and redeems the broken places in His own way and time, thank Him with me and pray as I do , that God Himself would be glorified in this family still.

Interestingly, (to me anyway), in today's message at church , a statement made, simple yet profound.
“Man cannot reach out and be good enough for God, God must reach out to us. This is the Advent season - God reaching out to us to come to Him..” 
Do you feel relieved hearing that? Those nasty thoughts , deeds, conversations, lost tempers, cruel remarks...do not change that God loves me. He loves me. He answers my heart cries, silent yearnings, quiet longings. Ah, thanks be to God. I love the Christ of Christmas.

If you want to know, this is what a lizard says.


The children are grown, the year has been quiet , without extraordinary and filled with ordinary. I love the ordinary blessings of Skype letting me see my Theodore grow , fulfilling the prayers of His people for life and health and normalcy. Rachel is currently in a play, returning to her passion for acting, and playing with Theodore too, as Aric and she enjoy the West way too much to want to return East. As any normal mother of far away children....I am praying. (wink, wink)




 The ordinary occurrence of my sister Paula, in remission from cancer(not so ordinary but rather a gift from God) and spending a week together in Ocean City NJ in the Spring. This was one of my unexpected  fun times, even though it snowed at the Beach!



 
 
I am ever so thankful that another ordinary , extraordinary joy was driving to Charleston SC to share firstborn Paul's 40th birthday -together eating in a less than extraordinary Brazilian restaurant and seeing my 3 sweet Southern grandbabies twice in one year!
 Isabel, Ava, and Luke, swimming in the ocean in October and learning to ride a 2 wheeler! Such normal every day fun to share in.






  It was also an ordinary week if it included phone calls and drop in visits from Julie , Adam and Ethan who live only a mile away. Ethan's family found quite a cute Puggle named Watson to love this year, and it looks like their cuddly Thomas the bunny now has a brother. 
Adam and Julie both work in the financial fields, so my future should be secure (another wink, wink).



 Margie , Joel and their 5 children [Eliot is 12!, Simon, Jesse, Nora and Bianca] had an ordinary year until July when they sold their home and moved within about the same number of weeks that it was blocks from their old place in Kennett Square, PA.! Seeing God work out those details was another gift of personal blessing amongst seemingly random circumstances. God loves my children, and I thank Him. Their home is often the one we gravitate to for family gatherings, and I thank God for Margie's gift of hostessing with calm.




 The Becca and Steve family of four are thriving, even as they utilize the skills God gifted them with in transforming their very old home to a home that will someday need to be featured in a Renovator's Magazine – poor Martha Stewart has met her match. Aidan and Evelyn cannot possibly be in school all day, it was merely the blink of an eye ago when they were born! Steve graduated from taking some pretty tough courses in school while he pounded nails and cleaned out the pool we all swam in this summer- I am thanking God for giving Steve perseverance, and Steve just wants a buck this week hunting! :-)

 We loved the pool at the Lacock's home! and many excuses to visit when the weather was HOT, found us gathering there.




 Joshua, my crazy 'NJ Devils or die' hockey fan, with a side love of all thing shark related, is enjoying a solid career at UPS, and will not take responsibility for your late Christmas packages! He lives in Philly in a neighborhood he won't let me visit because of the gang activity- you imagine for yourself how this mom prays!
And then there is Andrew who is a quarter of a century in age ,with life experiences worth at least double that. Praying for him to secure a job has been one of those requests I need to trust God with, all the while hoping it takes shorter time than those 12 years I prayed for David. :-) Andy will always be my baby but his beautiful CAM , pit bull baby , may drive me crazy with his large presence. 





I know that as my kids grow and change and develop their own lives and families, I am no longer an integral part of the process. In my head I am fully aware of the need to back away and let God and them work out 'stuff'. But seriously, I wish there was a pill to take that gave that an easy slide down to my heart strings. It pains me to watch, and pushes my faith to the limits of where I think God wants me walking. I am not, nor ever was, a risk taker. Watching the Amazing Race on television truly terrifies me-especially some of those bungee jumps! How can I compete in this Amazing Race of life after my children have grown up and need me no more? My job helps and is a constant blessing; my friends are all fumbling toward the finish line with me, and yet, somehow, we are strengthened by each other. When a friend says “I get it” there is more comfort than I ever imagined.
   
There is no way I could tell you in this annual letter just how blessed I am . I know what grace is because I am given it day by day, minute by minute. I have NO doubt that next year this letter may include extraordinary drama and pain again, for that is why we need a Savior. I am, however , preparing myself now for those days by encouraging YOU in these better ones. 

Stay tuned, and have a very Merry Christmas, because Jesus loves you, this I KNOW.