Well, it is the holiday season and I am sure if you're anything like me you're still drowning out a whole lot of unnecessary nonsense. I am blogging today after a very long moment of silence I have had to take. For several reasons including service commitments and simply not having a lot of helpful words to share, I needed to lean back for a while. We all have feelings and emotions, but some of us may carry compassion towards the pain of others at a deeper level. People like me who fit into that category must always know when and how to step back and allow themselves to be refueled or people and the world will sap you to a drought and leave you where you lie.
Christmas is one of, if not my absolute favorite holiday! Even though it carries a place of grief
in my heart for my earthly father (RIP), who passed away close to it I yet embrace and press into it. I think I love the warmth of family and another chance to openly render good deeds towards others, which for me is something I take the opportunity to do daily anyway. One thing is for sure, people who have not given anything to anyone beyond themselves all year long will surprisingly feel like giving a gift to someone during Christmas. I believe that is because no matter how much commercialism in society attempts to erase Him, Jesus Christ is the reason for the season! One would have to be in a very, very dark place to resist a genuine spirit of giving when celebrating the life of the Greatest Giver of All Times, Jesus!!
Be encouraged this Christmas! Despite whatever your situation amidst this pandemic, deception, fighting, lies, etc. always count it ALL joy! If still having your life in this pandemic is what you have to smile about right now....well make a habit to daily show all 32 teeth for that one thing! Find purpose and meaning in something and hold on to that. If you are able to donate, now is a great time to do that. Donate to the food bank to feed the hungry if you can. I have personally felt less helpless during this pandemic by donating to feed children deprived of food while away from school and families in need who are being forced to food pantry lines, many for the first time ever. I know that at a twinkling of an eye, if God ever lifts His Hands and blessings off of my life.....that could have been and could be me and my children in those same lines. I do know the feeling of the despair many women (single mothers) are feeling. I will have to do an entirely separate BLOG to discuss the tremendous weight being carried and bench pressed solo, minus the resources to sufficiently do so. I have experienced the lack of resources as a young single mom, and I have experienced the strapped threat to my stability and resources by way of divorce.
Indeed, life sometimes deals some tough blows, BUT I have found that nothing positions a Mama Bear to fight like her Baby Bears!!! I remember vowing in the private sector work industry and the politics that comes with, that under no circumstances will anyone ever take food from, my (baby boy's) mouth because they would NOT make it through me. When my Dad would teach martial arts in my youth, he taught the females "women's self-defense". I don't start fights, but I know how to get you off of me if I have to whether physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, financially....any other "ally" :-)). Nothing's changed...almost 27 years later and I still go hard for my baby boy and my baby girl, as I am sure each of you do for yours and will to the last breath. Hold on to that fighting spirit during these trying times and don't give up. Fight for your kids who can't fight sufficiently for themselves and they need you ALIVE and well. Drown out the noise around you that is useless, ignorant, senseless, and can be deadly. Wear your masks this Christmas and if you love your family.....stay away from each other if you're not in the same daily living pod. Make thoughtful decisions "for yourself" in support of the preservation of you and your family members' lives and livelihood.
Try something different for Christmas this year. That's what I plan to do with my kids. The past few years, I have teetered a more non-traditional menu for Christmas dinner and I am going for that again this Christmas! Side dishes and desserts will be the most work I do because we are doing family grilling indoors this year with a new gift I purchased myself. No worries, I'll blog about it and let you know how it turns out...and YES the grill is manufactured for indoors. Whether grilling filet mignon or some chicken hot dogs (if you know me, you know that's yuck for me).....basically if your menu is light this year by choice or by force, make the best of it and enjoy the time with the family in your living pod....even if it is JUST YOU! AND, if you're blessed to have some filet mignon and all of your top of the line favorites this Christmas I encourage you to join me and the kids to feed more children and families. BEFORE me and my kids could see how bad the pandemic would get for many, we took action to feed hungry children out of school in March/April; BEFORE me and my kids enjoyed our own Thanksgiving dinner, we donated to ensure almost a thousand other families could also eat; AND BEFORE me and my kids enjoy our Christmas dinner (God willing and the creek don't rise...the old folks say:-) we will ensure that at minimum another thousand families can eat also. I share this because I do believe that the character we exemplify before our children shapes their lives, which is biblical. Further, Matthew 25:40 says,
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
Head up and shoulders back, you've got this and whatever the current trial it will soon pass. Merry Christmas to you and yours!!!
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