Day Twenty Five- Baby Jesus is Lost

   I know I'm a few weeks late on this blog entry. Writing twenty five entries in just twenty five days when I'm a full time Mom and Aunt was even more difficult than I had planned. But here we are, Day Twenty Five of Blessings but no where near the end of our journey on faith.
    I've actually learned a lot about myself on this digital journey. But I have to recommend, if you're going to take a honest look in the mirror, don't do it in December. The emotions already seem to be too stretched during this month and then you add in other stuff...it's like eating a third piece of pie when you're already stuffed. :)
   I've really enjoyed writing the stories...the moments...that have shaped who I am. The ones that reminded me of my faith or taught me to dig deeper into my faith to guide me. 
  There were some things I found I couldn't write about yet, perhaps in the next few months when winter is at its bleakest and I already feel dark and gloomy...I will tell you about when I was so sick that Death was literally waiting on the front porch for me and how it took a whole bunch of faith to overcome everything. But since I couldn't write about it last month, we'll see how long it takes me to explore how emotional damaging getting that sick can mess with a person.

    I feel extremely blessed to have the family and friends I do. Even though this last year has been difficult for my family and right now hero hottie and I feel like we want to take the next train out of Crazyville...I know what emotion drives my faith...LOVE.
    The Beatles had it, "All you need is love, love---Love is all you need.'

    Through the ups and downs; the little daily struggles and the monstrous I might die struggles; through the frustrations and the grief; the one thing I could hold in my heart, almost as if it was tangible was LOVE.

   Love for my family.  Love for hero hottie. Love for Bean and Abu. Love for canine critters that love back unconditionally. Love for God and all creation.

    Mary gave birth to the baby Jesus in a manger, surrounded not by the ideal environment to be laboring in but she had love.
   Jesus taught about faith, forgiveness, and love.

    One day CT, my niece was playing with the small wooden Nativity dolls I have and in her playing she misplaced the baby Jesus in the pile of presents under the tree. Suddenly, she is frantic, searching through the wrapped gifts.
   "Aunt Christy, the baby Jesus is lost underneath all the presents. Help me find him."

   I came to a shocking stillness and stared at her. She was simply speaking of the wooden baby Jesus doll lost in the presents but it was a stark reminder that even though presents are the fun part of Christmas... I do enjoy finding and giving the perfect present for someone...the true meaning of Christmas must never be lost underneath all the presents.
    Love. Forgiveness. Faith.

    They're some of the true gifts of Christmas.

   "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
    Matthew 6:19-21 TNIV

    Love, don't go on a journey of faith without it.
  

Day Twelve- Always There

  Years ago I wrote a bit of faith on a scrap of paper, never quite sure what to do with it. It wasn't about me or anyone I knew but it spoke to me. I will share it with you today.

   Always There

by Christy Hammond

    

She sat on the church pew wondering why she was there, when a man passed and she dropped her head in prayer.

            “Where are you, when I need you so? Look what has happened, you have abandoned me here, am I to give birth with no one that cares?”

            She wept on the wood, silent tears of grief, when the same man who had passed came and stood by her bare feet.

            He didn’t say a word, and she wished him to leave, hiding her dirty toes underneath the seat. She kept her head bowed, her hands clasped together, and still he did not moved but continued to linger.

            “Go away,” she muttered, finally at last, her soiled fingers fanning across her swollen belly.

            The silence grew long, and the man did not shuffle, and finally she could not keep her head down any longer. She raised it up, and gasped.

            “You asked me here, so don’t send me away. I thought you needed me, but even if you don’t, I will still stay.” The man spoke gently, holding out a hand.

            She felt ashamed, her hands all dirty, but he did not care as he held them firmly. He helped her from her seat, her body heavy with the tiny person she had made.

            “I will be there, please do not worry. I will be there for you and your baby.” The man walked her to the door, that lead out of the chapel, and waited while she looked at the rest of the hospital.

            She looked at him with fearful eyes, and then wondered why she had doubted. Of course, he would be there at her side. Waiting with her, for her new arrival. She clutched her belly, with the wave of pain and knew she needed to find a doctor.

            “It will be alright, go now, your child awaits.” The man leaned forward, and kissed her head, not caring of the dirt, and oil, and smell that clung to her skin.

            She stepped and turned away, knowing that he was going to be there, with her, through the whole thing.

            And after her baby was born, and slept so soundly. She slipped to the chapel, with her sore body. Her mind was tired, she could hardly think, but she whispered some prayers, and gave him thanks.

Day Four- Children's Faith

Welcoming Baby Jesus

"So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger." Luke 2:16 TNIV


    Last year after we finished putting up the Christmas tree and decorating the house, Bean and Abu insisted that we needed to do more. The small Nativity sets we had weren't enough, we needed another one. So for the next hour they busied themselves putting together something quite special.
    Abu brought out her horse barn for the manger. Bean found Mary, Joseph, and Jesus.
    Barbie in her hot pink pencil skirt became Mary by wrapping a paper towel around her head like a robe. Ken became Joseph after he also received a paper towel treatment. And a Barbie baby was Jesus, lying in a little pink crib.
    They both worked together to find the stable animals. Cows, lambs, goats, piglets, and pigs surrounded the trio and a horse became a camel with two cotton ball humps taped to its back.
    Bean and Abu set up the Nativity under the tree and there it stayed for more than a week before slowly the toys were reclaimed as toys again and played with. But for just a little while they were so much more than toys.
    They represented Bean's and Abu's faith. Innocent, simple and eager. There wasn't questions and anger. There wasn't doubt. It was a simple moment of believing.
    I miss that. When I was child it was so easy to just have faith. Now I struggle with it.

   I feel blessed to have witnessed such a sincere act of faith. Thank you Bean and Abu for reminding me how simple it can be.
 
   The next part of our journey then is to pay attention to the children. For they remember how to have faith.
   Simply and sincerely.