But especially this time of year. Christmas cards. Family photo's. Family update letters. I soak it all in. I love reading everyone's updates and looking at everyone's pictures and seeing "how big the kids are getting". Usually, I'm really good at getting our own Christmas letter and card out. I type up a letter, with even a little wit in it. Enough to make me laugh anyway. This year, I struggled to write. I sat down about 5 times and have about 5 drafts of letters. just never could do what I wanted to do or say what I wanted to say. I was able to whip up a pretty cute card of the boy, but I failed to get a decent family photo of the three of us. We just haven't taken much time to take family photo's this year at all, and the few we had were when Zeek was really small. So we took a hurried, last second photo at my parents house a couple weeks ago. Skyler, straight from work in his grubby tshirt and work cap, me with my hair pulled back tight, no earrings, no makeup, and Zeek, at the end of his rope from a long day, but yet still managing a wide opened smile. I almost didn't mail the picture out.
But then I realized: this is us. This is life. We aren't some picture perfect portrait, with the sun shining and snow falling at the same time, with hair perfectly in place, with make up on, dressy clothes on. Skyler's a hard worker, both at his job and school. I'm a mom who pulls back her hair so her son doesn't yank on it, doesn't always get make up on every day and frequently wears t-shirts and jeans. (And not because I don't "have time". I just don't care most days!) Ezekiel is often a happy little boy, even when he's tired and worn out. As long as someone is giving him attention and calling out his name and smiling at him, he'll smile back and be happy, despite how tired he may be. In truth, the picture captured who we are perfectly. And in truth, it's not about us looking perfectly. So, I mailed it out.
And then I got a lovely letter from a friend. I didn't ask her if I could post this, but I don't think she would mind {though I can't find the actual letter. I'm kicking myself because it was so perfectly written, but it got separated from the cards and I cannot find it anywhere!).
She said she was in a Christmas bazaar and spotted an ornament. It only had three words on it. She said she couldn't get it out of her mind, so she eventually went back and bought that ornament. She didn't know why she was so compelled to buy it and didn't realize until she got home.
Since I've read her letter a couple weeks ago - I can't stop thinking about those three words:
"Shhh - it's Him."
In
all of our Christmas hustle and bustle, present buying, party planning
and attending, baking, decorating, etc., we tend to forget why we're
doing it all in the first place. This ornament, with those three words,
"Shh - it's Him", was a simple but "duh" reminder to her {and myself}
that this season is about Him.
I've constantly been reminded of
those words these last couple weeks and find myself saying them over and
over again to myself. "Shhh - it's Him." It's HIM. It's Jesus. It's
our Savior. It's His Birth. HE is the reason. Be quiet, be still.
It's Him. That's all that matters.
It's all that this season should be about.
Him.
Merry Christmas, friends.
Be still and remember Him.
Love, K
