Christmas

The preparations for Christmas have always been my favorite part of the holiday. The Day itself is over so quickly. Packages unwrapped, food eaten, games played and the day is gone... But the preparations..that's the thing. Decorating the house while listening to old Andy Williams records (now on DVDs, of course). We even loved the songs whose theology we questioned. Baking cookies and inviting the neighbor's kids to come help decorate them. We have never had much money to spend on fancy presents, so the emphasis was always on creativity in wrapping. Lots of fun. Usually we invite someone to share the day with us who doesn't have family close. Concerts, programs, lights. I love all of it. That is why this Christmas seemed so...strange. Since we will only be at home a couple of days during the Christmas season, I didn`t even get out the decorations, I didn't bake cookies, I didn't even get out the Christmas music. We will be spending Christmas Day with friends, so no special meal to prepare for me.
But at the same time, I have felt like the Lord has encouraged me in what could have been a pretty melancholy Christmas for me. Christmas has found me. He has allowed us to have Hannah with us, even though we've spent more time on the road than at home...we've been together. Even in our travels, we just "happened" to be some place on the day of "the Christmas program" and have enjoyed not one, but three Christmas programs, with one more to come on Christmas Eve. None of the traditional decorations, but Mirza, who was living with us for the school year, made a Christmas decoration in one of her classes and proudly left it on my kitchen table. No home made cookies, but the bank where we change our money gave us metal tin of sugar cookies. Little things, but they have kept my spirits "Christmasy" in spite of not doing the ordinary things that I love so much. So much so, that I decided to listen to Andy Williams. Silver Bells......
Next year, I think I will decorate even if we are home for just one day, and bake cookies, even if I have to do it in October. I will not make Christmas come to me, but I am thankful that it has this year.