Yes, it is officially Christmas Eve. My dad arrives today along with my brother Scott and good friend Gayle. Presents are all purchased-most of them wrapped in coordinating patterns of Christmas wrapping paper. I did the ,"every child gets his own pattern" thing, and I like it! I just finished assembling the hamster cage, yes, you heard right, hamster. My second son, who is an animal lover, will be thrilled to find his long-awaited best bud under the tree on Christmas morning, munching away on little chew toys. Did you know that hamsters need chew toys?!?! This is a stretch for his rodent-despising mother, but oh, what we do for love;)
I have planned out meals and will attempt to get last minute grocery items early tomorrow (hopefully before the stores morph into zoos). My tree is sparkling brightly and is surrounded by gifts for and from loved ones. Friends who know me well and love me anyway have shared gifts from their kitchens and from their hearts. Despite all the festive activities and lights and gifts and even the fudge, I just can not seem to catch the Christmas spirit. Is it selfishness? Is it grief? Is it busyness? Is it exhaustion? I just don't know! I'm just not sure what is preventing it from its normal bubbling out!
One thing I do know is that the true meaning of the season is not some warm fuzzy feeling that one gets from a scene, a song, or a gift. It is an understanding of what The Lord actually did for us when He left His throne in glory to be lain upon a bed of hay; when He took off His royal robes and donned a tattered robe of flawed human flesh; when He stepped out of the splendor of Heaven's shore onto the dry and barren land of earth; when He traded His perfect body for one full of temptation; when He left the presence of His Holy Father to be surrounded by sinners that would never appreciate Him. What did He give up when He was born that chilly night in Bethlehem? Why, He gave all.
Even without the "feeling" I usually experience at this time of year, I intend to focus on Him and the Greatest Gift ever given...or received!!!
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