"All that glitters is not gold" -William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice
We are home.
Why is it that the first day back from an extended holiday is
so hard? I couldn’t for the life of me get back into the swing of things at
work. Couldn’t figure out what to make for supper. Couldn’t seem to motivate myself
to empty my suitcase. Couldn’t get my mind around all I had to do before I fell
into bed. There was just too much on my mind & on my calendar. In fact, I found
myself secretly wishing I could hop back in the car & head back to Ohio to relive
the wonderful Thanksgiving we had with my family… a beautiful time… a restful
time… a peaceful time.
Now hear me when I say, it is good to get away. It is
healthy to renew our souls & connect with our loved ones.
But is it really any wonder that when we sneak away & enjoy
the out of the ordinary… a brief reprieve from our day to day experiences &
responsibilities… to rest, relax & renew… that we find it hard to reengage
our normal everyday life?
I was thinking about this as we drug ourselves into our
apartment complex last night around 9:30. I hadn’t even put my key in the door
before a couple of our neighbors popped out to visit. We spent the next hour in
our entry way talking, listening & sharing life with them.
Listening to those two beautiful women share about their own
holiday, I was painfully reminded of how much I have. Of how blessed I am in my day to day ordinary life. I
was reminded that I live in a world full of hunger & sickness, sorrow &
pain. Yes, I know that month after month, week after week, day after day, I
continue to belabor this point but I can’t shake the ramifications of ignoring
it from my soul.
After all, it was in the shadow of Herod’s glittering palace
that our Savior was born. Our Jesus came to save the ordinary, the lost, the
poor, the plain. 1 Timothy 1:15 reminds me, "It is a trustworthy statement, deserving
full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,
among whom I am foremost of all." After everything He did for me, how can I not help but feel the overwhelming
sense of urgency to engage the very same things He did, in my today?
There is no doubt that I will continue to be surrounded by all
things bright & beautiful this month… but thru the magic of this holiday season,
I am committing to remember to open my eyes to what lies shadowed just beyond
that light. To embrace the ordinary… engage the humble… love the unfortunate… honor
the Holy.
Will you?
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