This one was no ordinary morning though. It was Christmas! I left the twinkling lights on last night just so that I could awaken to the magical moments of the day. I have always loved those quiet few moments before the day gets crazy.
It has been years since we have had little ones waking us up early to see what was in all of those packages, so I was accustomed to sleeping until at least 6 AM.
First up, just thanking God for His remarkable Gift. We would not even be stopping to celebrate this time of year if not for the birth of a baby who changed the course of history. HIS-story. My love for history grew deeper when I finally connected the dots and began to look at all that takes place on this earth as His-story. God is central to it all - all you have to do is look in order to find Him. So, early this morning I thanked God that I found Him early in my life and that the people He placed in my path have assisted in my growing closer to and having a deeper walk with Him. Nothing else about this day was as important - I think we call it "The Reason for the Season." Absolutely true.
Food for the soul - then for the body. Those little pups rolled up in blankets did the trick. That and some warm brie with berries. Let's not forget the sparkling juice. Memories of Christmases past.
This year we decided to do the 'progressive Christmas." So many families spend the day hopping in and out of the car, making the rounds to visit relatives. We have been blessed to have everyone close by for so many years. It is quite the unusual thing for families this year. I thought about so many friends who have some of their children home for Christmas, and others far away - if not overseas. I thought of kids that I have taught over the years who have their own young families, yet still long to be home with those 'grand' parents for this special time of year. Sometimes it just does not work out because work schedules, logistics, and even finances don't allow for it - but the heart still keeps everyone close. I thought about people, often those much older than myself, who have lost a spouse this year and I thought about how hard it must be when you have shared a life for 60+ years with someone. The sense of loss can be overwhelming if you allow it to take over you.
First stop - Kristin's. Roger always manned the trash bag. His idea, not ours. I don't recall a time when we ever had piles of paper all over the floor. Of course, I also know why.
It was not only because it was a fire hazard. It was mostly because of our first Christmas together - we were engaged at that point and we had this grand Christmas at my (parent's) house. He had come in with gifts for all and joined in with the craziness that was our home.
He was dismayed at then end of it all when he discovered that a certain gift was missing. It was a pair of white calfskin gloves. Clearly expensive, and missing. He realized that they likely went out with the trash somewhere between his home and mine, but never found that precious gift that he selected especially for me.
I guess that was the when he decided that things could be better done differently in the midst of "gifting chaos." It was just too easy for something of value to become lost.
So, for as long as I can remember, present opening was done in a more orderly fashion in our home. Oh, there was a lot of present opening going on, but instead of everyone tearing into everything in a wild frenzy, we stopped to enjoy what each other received. And then promptly eliminated excess paper before something valuable was buried beneath it. It sounds kind of boring when writing about it, yet is never was boring!
Yes, we had to figure out how we were going to get through this activity, and that job fell to Jacob. I have to admit, that he rose to the occasion and came up with a very creative solution. He was able to combine his love for sports with his need to manage excess paper. Key to the paper dunk - roll it up tight!
What a delightful time we had at stop one (Kristin's) and stop two (Karin's) - and all paper was contained and in the recycle bin before we knew it.
Since we only had to travel around the block to visit all the homes, some of the cuties never got out of their Christmas jammies! Talk about a relaxing day! Karin even put Kellen in his jammies and left him home to get caught up on his napping before coming over. Iron, on the other hand, appears to have the Underwood gene. He has the ability to stretch out and sleep anywhere and under any conditions.
We enjoyed opening a few more gifts and of course mom's favorite activity....the stockings. It's a tradition that goes way back to Christmases past. I think everyone is pretty well exhausted by the time 'stocking time' rolls around, but somehow we get our second wind. Hopefully the 2014 ornaments - red cardinals - will forever be a reminder of God's faithfulness during this year. It has been pointed out many times this year that seeing a cardinal is a reminder that a loved one who is now resting with Jesus is still with us in many ways. I can not remember seeing as many cardinals in the course of a year as I have this year. It has been a pretty remarkable thing, and I give credit to The Comforter, for it is God's promise that He would never leave us, nor forsake up. He has not, and the blessing of praying friends has been a gift beyond belief.
It was not until this moment that I realized that I had placed one of his cups on top of the armor which still holds some of our precious memories of him.
For some reason, he has collected Dunkin Donuts Christmas cups for years. I faithfully stored them for him, because after all, he collected precious few things.
And in this moment I realized
Roger's Lesson: "You never know when you will need them" - the cups have a message you need to remember. And it is not about coffee.
I have been looking at these cups all month and have tried to live it's message, but never realized that I was looking at the message all month. JOY - years ago there was a message that said it meant "Jesus Others You" - in other words - prioritize your life in that order. I wonder if that is why Roger collected those cups.
Indeed, I have enjoyed doing for others this season, and I would like to think that it is a habit, but I don't really know. I do know that when I stay busy doing for and with others and not on dwelling on myself or my loss, I have a much more successful day.
I also know that Joy, or happiness, is a choice. It is a personal choice. It is not something that someone can do for me, or give me. Much like the gift of salvation, it is something I choose to accept. Unlike salvation, which lasts for eternity, joy is something I have to choose every day, if not every moment of my life.
Yes, life is different now. Christmas is different now. Jim surprised us with a 'Roger moment' which will forever bless my heart. We kept a lot of traditions because we knew he loved them. Things may change in the future, and then again, some things may not.
But, we made it through this rather large milestone and we did it joyfully. We did it because we have each other - the family that is and always will be a part of Roger. It blesses our hearts so much to know that he was so loved by so many people. He has shown us a lot this year, but I know there is so much more to learn.
I know this - God places special people in our lives for a very special purpose. We learn from one another and we can build one another up or tear them down. We can bring joy or we can be a stress. All of these things are choices that we can control.
So look around for those positive people in your life - learn from them - and become one.
Thanks, Roger, for allowing Christ in you to teach us so many wonderful things.
It has indeed been a joyful day.
Beautiful post, Judi. You have shared your heart of enduring joy in light of eternity in the midst of a different kind of Christmas without your man.
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