Wednesday, December 4, 2013

The First Day Back... Living in the Moment Part II

"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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