Tag: joy

Too Many Changes!

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What? Ninety-two degrees in February! Confusing and perplexing, this is one of the many world changes I have no interest in accepting.  Yet, we must, for we can’t change it! Even though Texas is warmer than many other states in our country, summer temperatures in winter are still most unusual. We can accept it with a smile or complain, but we all know complaining doesn’t change those things which we can’t alter.

Life is a series of changes, but how often I reflect on those changes which we all anticipate, such as maturing and aging-we know this is inevitable. We understand our children will develop into teens and young adults, choosing and beginning their own lives. We know it is predictable, yet most of us are saddened by the occurrence. Why? We too experienced that foreseeable aspect of life. Cycles of our lives are much easier to accept than these unexpected and misunderstood patterns.

I think about the many changes in everyday life in the last few decades. I recall going to a “washateria”, now a laundromat, but in the 1950’s, it was a washateria with wringer style washing machines. Then we loaded the wet laundry in baskets and returned back home to hang it on the line. Oh the fragrance of sun-dried clothes! But what a convenience to toss clothes in the automatics washing machine with a dryer alongside it!

How many of us love the change of electric dishwashers? I recall as a toddler standing at the counter in our basement home, drying the dishes my mother had washed by hand. I was well into my twenties before I encountered the convenience of a dishwasher. I have often said, I would give up my dishwasher before I gave up my electric garage door opener.  I might have to rethink that statement when I had a sink full of dirty dishes and pans. So many changes, so many conveniences.

The list of changes is lengthy; some I would have preferred remained as they were. Cell phones are convenient at times, but how rewarding it was to hear a phone ring and pick it up to hear a kind voice on the other end desiring to “talk” to me, not merely text me or send me an e-mail.

How do we handle those unplanned and/or unforeseen changes? The loss of a job, unexpected moves to a new town or state or greater is the loss of a spouse or child, which can leave us devastated. We cry, we grieve, we pray and trust, but we must move forward.  Some may desire to remain mired in grief and sorrow. However, this deprives individuals of the new adventures awaiting them.

Many are astounded that I travel alone as much as I do. I travel alone, or not at all. There is much to see in this incredible world God created to not experience the beauty. I’ve also met people along the way which are now added to my mind’s memory book. Oh change! We can go with it or contest it, but it doesn’t prevent it from happening.  Isaiah 43:19 NIV, “see I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?…”

Is This A Loss?

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Another Christmas is history. The gifts which you spent days and/or perhaps weeks searching for and the stress you felt in having the finances to purchase them have now been granted and opened. Hopefully, the recipients were as joyful to receive them as you were in presenting them.

The Christmas cards, perhaps not as plentiful as in years past have now been received and are either going to be discarded or saved in a scrapbook to be discarded at a later date. The Christmas meal which you spent hours planning, shopping for and preparing was a few leftovers you sent home with the guests or stored away for a later meal.  Fine china, crystal and silver have been washed, dried and packed away until the next special “once a year” event.

You might not have been invited to the party which you anticipated attending. The festive attire you had indulged in purchasing didn’t look as elegant on the night of the gala as it did when you were trying it on in the store. The anticipation of the gift(s) you had hoped for was never received.

But what if none of the above was a portion of your Christmas? What if, you were alone for the holiday? What if you didn’t attend even one party? What if you didn’t have even one gift to open? Was this still a holiday to remember? Yes, it was. Albeit, probably not one you wish to recall vividly, but even the most uneventful holidays can still hold warm memories. God granted you one more year, one more opportunity to experience this special day.

As a young bride and mother-to-be, one of my most memorable Christmases was while living with my then husband in Ft. Benning, Georgia. We were as poor that Christmas as we might have ever been. The officers were given “time off” for the holiday, but we were unable to travel home to be with family, as we didn’t have the finances to do so.

Many of the officers and their wives were taking a holiday trip to Atlanta. What an excitement for two young kids from Oklahoma. Yet, how far could we travel on two dollars? Yes, just two dollars. We didn’t have a credit card to “buy now and pay later.” We didn’t have parents to “float us a loan.” We were on our own with only the two dollars and big wishes.

 We drove to Atlanta, but no fancy meals, gift shopping or driving any further than the gas in our car would take us. We were hungry after consuming what few snacks we had packed in our car. Big times in the big city called for two big spenders to purchase two fifty cent burgers and to share one fry. That was it. Our money was gone. Does that mean this Christmas was a loss? No!

I knew that in approximately three months we would be with our new baby, beginning a new life.  That Christmas was one day out of hundreds of days for the remainder of my life. I counted my blessings and was grateful for what God had granted us. So then what is left of this holiday? Another year-another opportunity to spend with family and friends, but most of all we know, it is the eternal gift of the Savior’s love and sacrifice for each of us. Yet, how often is this lost in all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season? Isaiah 9:6 NKJ, “For unto us a child is born, Unto us a son is given…Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”