An Advent Journey: The Signs of Christmas

 

Day One: An Introduction

 

A place for everything and everything in its place. That’s the key to a tidy home, a tidy mind and a fulfilled life. The problem is things, people and ideas do not like to stay in their place. Christmas is the vilest offender. A few years ago, I was looking for some chocolate coins; to use for an assembly. As I walked into the Supermarket, I was convinced they would not be available. There they were; in the Christmas aisle, in September. The following week, I saw the child of a friend sitting on the couch, looking wistfully into the air. I asked what they were doing. They responded in an ethereal way ‘just sitting here, waiting for Christmas.’ Christmas does not like to stay in its place, and because of that, its potency is diluted.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am all about Christmas. I love it, but I love it in its proper place. I used to love the artificial barrier that Thanksgiving provided when I lived in the states. After Thanksgiving, the community I lived in, went Christmas crazy. However, in the last few years, the signs of Christmas would start to be visible before the last bite of the pumpkin pie had been digested. It would start to spread itself from almost the beginning of September. You would see hints of decorations, and preparations and I just wanted to yell No! Keep Christmas special, keep it in its place. 

Advent, the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas, is the season of waiting.

It is the season of patient expectation. 

A season to look and wait for the signs of Christmas. 

The signs of songs, of light, of trees and of angels. 

Join me on this Advent journey as we explore the signs of Christmas. 

 

Lost Keys and Many Tears

Say What now???

 

There are a myriad of articles about Corona Virus available so, I’ll keep this short. In a different life, I did some research, writing and training around resilience. One of the things that I learned was called Low Frustration Tolerance.

I distinctly remember the first time I experienced it. It was 3 days after my dad’s funeral and I had returned to America. Waking up super early because of jet lag, I decided to watch a DVD. I made coffee and as I was getting the DVD out of the case it snapped in two and was then unwatchable. I picked up my coffee went back to bed and stayed there for the rest of the day.

The disproportion of my response was lost on me till later much later. This week friends and family have commented about finding simple, every day tasks or difficulties much more annoying or emotional. Upset about the end of the tin foil, or the loss of the remote control. Crying about things that we would normally take in our stride.

Covid-19 has had a massive effect on the nature of the way we experience life. Normal Routines, habits and practices that influence our wellbeing have dramatically altered in nature. Even taking a walk has micro rejections associated with it as people cross the road or stand to one side as we pass.

Resilience, can be likened to liquid in a bucket and many of our buckets have holes in right now. Our resilience is more easily drained. Therefore something that we would have dealt with easily before like running out of toilet roll, or snapping a DVD have a greater influence over us. So, what can we do?

1) Name it for what it is. Once you realise that your reaction is not unusual but actually a very typical response for the situation we find ourselves in. it is so much easier to manage.

2) Set a timer to be upset. When I was crying over the disappearance of the remote control earlier this week, I allowed myself 5 minutes to just be upset about it. Then I had another five minutes as I wasn’t finished being upset. If you get to half an hour and you're still upset... Message me or phone a friend.

3) Create some new routines. One family I know is doing yoga at 9:00pm everyday during lockdown. Another group of friends is doing gin-on-line every Wednesday at 7:00. I’ve also written a list of fun things I want to do to treat or pamper myself to keep my bucket filling up during this unusual hole.

I’m not a doctor or a psychologist but I do know that low frustration tolerance is something that we are experiencing and something we can do something about.

Peace and Grace

Serena

Here is a short piece I wrote about 9/11 for a writing competition. I had 500 words so some of the detail is left to your imagination. ENJOY

Driving Whilst The World Changed 

Remember when airports were fun? When travel by airline was a delight? No restrictions on water or shoes? When the longest line was for the duty free, and you didn’t spend hours agonizing over little bottles of conditioner? I do. I remember. 

Claire had arrived that morning. Into my newly familiar world came an old friend. In my exuberance to make her feel part; I was there at the airport. Closer, I was in the departures lounge. Closer. I was at the gate at 6:18 central standard time. I was there with coffee and a croissant. It was a Tuesday, and work beckoned. An assembly to greet the new students, at our new school. But first Claire.

Arriving to study, arriving to be my friend,to be a familiar in this new world. She came down the gangplank exhausted but excited. We hugged. We walked through the airport catching up on gossip from home. Sophie had started university, Chris and Fi were planning their wedding. Claire and I were starting new adventures. We waited for the bags, three of them. We left the airport, unhindered.  

We piled everything into the car and drove,with the top down in a borrowed BMW, into the early September sun. It could have been the start of a movie.It was 6:46 central.I noticed the palindrome,as we drove into the sunlight and reached for sunglasses simultaneously. Green Day was blaring, I hope you have the time of your life. It was a 10-mile trip while the world changed and stayed the same all at once. 

The perfection of that trip would have been lost had I known how to change the CD to the radio. 

Claire’s host family for this adventure were bleary eyed, pre coffee watching the news, greeting an unknown guest. They drew us into the lounge around the various news reports. We paused together and watched the world change. I touched her hand and that moment communicated all the ‘could have beens.' We drove as the world changed.


The image in my head is my dial up internet clicking agonizingly slowly. CNN’s new website, frozen with a picture of plane two approaching tower two.No students had mobile phones; parents started calling. Do you have a terror attack strategy? Our school had been open six days, we barely knew where the bathrooms were located. 

In the assembly that day we talked about new safety procedures before the students had opportunity to understand the old safety procedures. We called parents to comfort, and in a mess of unknown panic, parents cancelled classes. It was Sarah’s birthday; I brought her a Snickers and a Doctor Pepper. The ordinary things in the heart of an extraordinary tragedy. I’ve never greeted a friend at the gate again.

Sunlight on Snow Fall

Isolated on the plains of Illinois,
The farmers greeted us with hospitality,
Weary travellers, entertained by angels;
Kinship, solely sojourners share.
We were welcomed there.

A hot meal, around a wooden table, on long benches
Simple food, flavoured with love.
A campfire conversation,
In the warmth of a home.
Built board by board, with rugged splintered hands.
We were welcomed there.

Hospitality birthed ownership
As we shared heart and light with those new friends
Their story became ours

Welcome rest, on washed worn sheets
Duvets ripped open in darkness.
Feathery snow covered our farm
The world is silent when snow falls
Humanity on pause

Sunrise on snowfall
Dazzling distraction of light on white.
Brighter than the noon sun.
Deafening bright silence

Our story of hospitality
Shared hearts, Bright Lights.
No divisions, quickly creates
A family from strangers
Bonded by light
Sunlight on snow fall

The Sacred Breakfast

The Sacred Breakfast

The sun is awake; but the world is sleeping.
Hair in a messy bun,
No make up on,
and the remains of yesterday's dreams rippling through my heart.

The house is sleeping
and the dog
watches silently.
He is used to this ritual;
this sacred moment.
As if he knows his barks would destroy this moment.
This sacred time.

We sit my friend and I around a kitchen table; usually so filled with life.

Strawberries, yogurt and coffee,
Nothing extraordinary.
She starts and I listen; sharing in her triumphs and laughing with her joys.
Sometimes I ache with her. But today we smile with the sunshine.

We follow a rabbit trail, as only old friends can.
And I marvel at the fact that this woman has known me.
She has known me in my nose ringed, bleach blonde phase;
In my zealous and passionate youth.
She saw me declare God’s word, in a sweaty tent,
and like no other, knows how terrified I was that it would all go wrong.
Our lives look so different now
but those moments defined us
That shared history binds us
This life is for sharing.

I have seen her swell and shrink with children.
and I  prayed for the young life;
that sits on the couch with adoring eyes.
Convinced I am there to see her.
She may be a little bit right.

We have watched seasons come and go;
We have known belly laughs and heart cries.
And the deep groans that communicate with God.

I have seen her wrestle with truth, and fight for wisdom,
She has watched me grieve.

We share the minute details of our lives.
Aware that how we spend our days;
is in fact how we spend our lives.

We have known sorrow,
Grief that could have destroyed our friendship
And yet we chose to protect.
We have grown in kindness.

Our rivers are such different colours;
but the water that feeds them is fresh.


We return to our first topic aware that the clocks ticks on.
I breathe and talk sharing heart secrets letting fences down.

This sacred hour
A central hub for our hearts
We often leave with questions

But in that moment
The sacred breakfast; questions are permissible.

We have shared theses moments for many years now.
We have grown accustomed to our quirks.

A friend and I have shared breakfast together every Friday for the past few months. We have known each other over 20 years and are obsessed with God’s Kingdom and his incredible love for His world. There is nothing special, no formula and no pretense. I encourage everyone to do the same. Find a friend and chat deep… This bread is in the sharing.