Musings from Graceland

NO CHRISTMAS NEWSLETTER AND ONLY THREE CARDS

I always send out cards. Some years I send out between 125 to 150. And a Christmas newsletter is also a seasonal tradition.

Not this year.

I did good to get 3 cards out in the mail on Monday and not even the first line of my news family letter has been written...or in my case, typed.

Sigh...

I really like the tradition of cards and newsletters. I hang the ones up that we receive and I like picking out just the right cards to suit different categories of families and friends.

I thought I was simplifying this year. It seems like we bought less presents. The older kids are at that age where they can really help out with tree decorating, making sweets, babysitting while I shop, and so on. But despite the fact that December has the same number of days in it leading up to Christmas Day this year as all other years, it just didn't seem that way.

I started getting that stressed-out-in-the-pit-of-my-stomach feel a few days ago about all the things I had left to do...especially the cards and letters and photos I had hoped to get printed off and put in for some folks, especially my Swazi friends.

Finally, I just had to accept the fact that it wasn't going to happen. At least not before Christmas this year.

And I'm trying to be okay with that.

I'm not perfect.

I still sometimes want to think that I am.

I want to do all those things that people expect of me and I expect of myself. I want my friends and family members to have a tangible sign at Christmas that I'm thinking of them, that I love them, and that I'm grateful for them.

But this year that tangible sign just isn't going to happen.

Yeah, it would have happened if I'd lost some sleep or read a few less books to the Hobbit Baby or didn't spend so much time sending fun emails and messages to friends online or, or, OR! But the fact is, there's just so much time in a day. And I'm not organized. And I like my sleep. And I like to read. And I like to DAILY keep up with my friends and family via phone calls, emails, visits, park days, and facebook.

So...because of this I've not got my cards and letters sent out.

Yeah, I'm frustrated about that.

But I'm trying to be okay with it.

And I'm hoping and praying that I'm living love and gratitude year round to those people I care about. I know that there are those loved, long distance friends that truly only hear from me at Christmas, but hopefully they are in the very small minority. I'm hoping the rest of the folks are seeing in how I live that I love them and treasure them even if I didn't send them a card...yet...or ever this year.

And hopefully those that rarely hear from me will have the grace to forgive me for my lack of correspondence.

Because really it all boils down to this....Father God sent His only begotten Son Jesus to this world because people like ME need Him really badly. I'm a mess at times. But He loves me anyway.

That's true grace....an undeserved gift simply because He treasures me.

There are so many I treasure out there. I don't always deserve their love, commitment, and friendship. But when they give it to me despite my mess-ups, then that God-originated grace is so beautiful.

To all of you I hope you have a very wonderful Christmas. I am so grateful for my family and friends. They are some of my very favorite gifts from the Father...even if I don't send them a card.