I TRULY enjoyed opening up the Christmas box Mom brought down to me this summer. Last night, as I opened it expecting to unwrap Mom's handmade village (I've enjoyed setting this up year after year and with my new home, I was fortunate she gifted it to me), I found not only the village, but a box FULL of surprises. Wreaths, ornaments (including my baby ornament and many I made/were gifted to me over the years), numerous decorations including some I forgot about from a friends shower, a manger scene (minus baby Jesus...he's KIND-OF important so I'll have to wait to put that up until I can find one at a vintage shop ;o) and endless odds and ends. THIS WAS THE BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT...and it's not even Christmas yet!
Here is just a part of it:
I started with the basic tree decorated the same as last year:
...then began adding all of Mom's special touches to the house :o):
AND now to my wonderful Wednesday morning. Mannings Reflections for Ragamuffins daily devo was the perfect interlude into my 25 days of prayer for Momma for a conversation at Christmas (starting TOMORROW, December 1, stay tuned...) Back to Manning:
WHEN GOD BREAKS IN
We are plunged into mystery - what Abraham Heschel called "radical amazement." Hushed and trembling, we are creatures in the presence of ineffable Mystery above all creatures and beyond all telling.
The moment of truth has arrived. We are alone with the Alone. The revelation of God's tender feelings for us is NOT mere dry knowledge. For too long and too often along my journey, I have sought shelter in hand-clapping liturgies and cerebral Scripture studies. I have received knowledge without appreciation, facts without enthusiasm. Yet, when the scholarly investigations were over, I was struck by the insignificance of it all. It just didn't seem to matter.
BUT when the night is bad and my nerves are shattered and Infinity speaks, when God Almighty shares through his Son the depth of his feelings for me, when his love flashes into my soul and when I am overtaken by Mystery, it is kairos - the decisive inbreak of God in this saving moment of my personal decision. Shivering in the rags of my fifty-nine years, either I escape into skepticism and intellectualism or with radical amazement I surrender in faith to the truth of my belovedness.
His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant" You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' - Matthew 25:21
And with that, I pray.
I pray and thank God for all that he is and all that he has given me. I pray that God continues to use me as his vessel and shine through me. I will do what is in my power and he does the rest...AND I pray for BIG things!
God knows my heart and how I yearn for Momma to heal. All I want for Christmas is a (real) conversation with her. I am SO VERY THANKFUL that she is functioning as well as she is now. He didn't have to give us THIS MUCH of her back... but I continue to have hope that she will regain complete clarity of thought and speech...and we will give HIM all of the glory with each MIRACLE He unwraps.
Until tomorrow...
Where have you seen God's grace in your life today?