About Me

My photo
I now live in Victoria, after a couple years on the North Shore of Vancouver, and a (too) brief time in the prairies. Working as an artist, mother and wife (not necessarily in that order), i am striving to live well, to find the truth of God in all things, and to pass on this truth to others.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Christmas

i feel that i am walking through the nativity story with my home.  we have travelled from the peace of our house being in the constant state of immaculate perception, through the travail of sale, and into the chaos of moving!  from darkness to light, uncertainty to certainty.  what an appropriate time of year to feel God's nearness and care, his miraculous provision, his unshaking faithfulness.

christmas day was a whirl, not a moment to sit - unless i was building legos or making crafts or EATING or spending time with family.  who's to complain?  but i did not get a chance to sit and contemplate and wonder.  thankfully, i did get many chances to do so throughout the season of advent - one more reason to celebrate a season rather than a day.  anyways, here's some poetry for you, consider it a present.

Today you see in a stable
the Word speechless,
Greatness in smallness,
Immensity in blankets.
such wonders!...

He who had no beginning,
his being of Time begins;
the Creator, as a creature,
is now subject to our griefs.
such wonders!
(Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, "Carol 3," Mexican, seventeenth century)

one moment from the last few weeks that really moved me was at (of all places) my daughter's Christmas assembly.  here, in a room of 700 or so children and staff of all faith backgrounds, these words are sung loud and strong:
"I love thee Lord Jesus, look down from the sky...". 
a Christmas miracle.
did a child in that crowd sing those words for the first time and question?  did an adult and begin to believe?  i was one adult who sang with conviction, except for the "no crying he makes" line.  as if. 

i was thinking in the shower this morning about having God as your child, wondering what behaviors would disappear, and what would remain.  for example:  temper tantrums.  i mean, i'd like to believe they're sinful, but maybe, like every toddler trying to find some control in life, Jesus stomped his foot as well.  Maybe Jesus would have behaved like my three year old in church Christmas Eve, tired and wanting to run and explore instead of sitting quietly by Mary.  but would Mary have said "if you do that one more time I'm cancelling Christmas"?  For obvious reasons no, but i'd like to believe that she might have threatened Purim or something :).  (not my finest parenting moment).

Christmas was a really beautiful day this year.  I feel so SO thankful that Scott is home, so in love with my family, so aware that I will look back on this Christmas for years to come as the last one in BC.  and, to make things perfect, it was complete with gloom and rain and plus8 weather.  the presents were a hit, and my boxing day wishes came true in the form of new tupperware to organize said presents.  tomorrow the boxes arrive and a new chapter begins. 

but before that, a night to sit in poetry, snuggle with my hubby, and enjoy the peace.  i hope that your night also carries within it calm and bright and heavenly peace. 

one more present, from Luci Shaw:

    After 
The white-hot beam of annunciation
fused heaven with dark earth,
his searing, sharply focused light
went out for a while,
eclipsed in amniotic gloom;
his cool immensity of splendor,
his universal grace,
small-folded in a warm, dim
female space -
the Word stern-sentenced to be
nine months' dumb -
infinity walled in a womb,
until the next enormity -
the Mighty One, after submission
to a woman's pains,
helpless on a barn's bare floor,
first-tasting bitter earth.

(Luci Shaw, "Made Flesh")

2 comments:

  1. Exquisite poetry.
    Expressive thoughts that provide for us an opening window into your life...thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have to share with you my Christmas day... my family and I left in the morning, together, to help at the Portland Union Gospel mission, each of us assigned a different job. Before beginning our duty, we met some of the other volunteers and then we prayed together, simple words yet exactly what we needed God to hear from us. My heart overflowed with joy as I watched each member of my family embrace the day. My Aunt Linda counted and greeted people as they enter the doors - I could see her smiling and laughing with others, my Uncle Bruce was on garbage detail (but ended up not having to do much because Jim, one of the other volunteers, was garbage man extra-oridinaire), he did not feel well at all and yet he befriended a young girl who with all her hardships in life, served there regularly and loved the Lord with her heart and soul and mind! My mom was also on garbage detail, but ended up helping seat people as they arrived with a warm smile on her face. My grandma and I were table servers, both of wearing our over-sized plastic aprons and gloves, and eagerly serving plates of food, warm drinks and of course, pie for dessert. Christ was so alive in me... I am usually so shy in these situations and feel very uncomfortable, but all I felt was love and I actually sat and had conversations with the people who ate at our table. I loved watching the other volunteers who cleaned our tables, dished out food on the plates, poured the drinks, checked bags, and Pat, who we met, who had left his family on Christmas day to help God's family by serving up the pie. I also loved the Union Gospel workers who were people who used to be on the streets themselves and now were living there, recovering and loving others! There were volunteers who played the guitar and keyboard and sang not only Christmas Carols, but also worship songs which I sang along too. It was a BEAUTIFUL day full of so much love! The LIght was there and the darkness had not overcome it! At the end of the day, I snuggled up with Christ and thanked Him for all the blessings He has given me. And I thanked Him for loving me when there has been many times where I have not loved HIm. And I prayed that His love would continue to pour into to me so that I would pour His love out to others, especially the children in my class and their families.
    I now say good-bye to you my friend. I will miss you so much! I have learned so much from you and Scott! I will cherish all the memories of the times I have spent with you. I love you and I love the Anderson Family! I pray that God will continue to embrace you and fill you and your home and the many new people who will become a part of your life. Saskatoon is so blessed to have all of you!
    Love Cori

    ReplyDelete