Let it shine......your light that is!

"Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it. Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy—the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.” 

― Brené Brown

Big Daddy is in the kitchen this Christmas Eve Morning.  Mama Dee will be coming over this afternoon and we'll partake in the annual before Church Big Daddy Bonanza Super Smorgasbord.  I smell onions and cheese and I'm sure there is some starch and chicken mixed in there somewhere.  I'm waiting my turn to fix a dish.  Big Daddy and I learned early in our marriage--we can't be in the kitchen together.  I hate to admit it but we both are "KIA's" aka 

"know it all's".  So if we work at separate times--then there is no kitchen fights (although I'm sure when I get my turn, he will be walking in and out bossing about how many dishes I'm dirtying up or how much I have dropped on the floor.)  After all, it wouldn't be Christmas without Big Daddy know it all advice--I love him anyway--in spite of or because of---his know it all skills.

Off Color kids are still sleeping and Glitzy Dog is lying on the couch trying to bother me as I type--he wants to go run--but I'm feeling the holiday five pound bloat already setting in and I'd hate to not have to work really hard after the New Year.

Off Color son will not get to go to church with us tonight--I'm a bit sad about that ---but he has to work---what kind of sandwich shop functions on Christmas Eve and who buys a deli sandwich post church.  There are no light lit in the off color house--Glitzy Dog ate the cord off of everything--so we have a tree that doesn't light up, lights and greenery along the staircase---that do not shine.  The cards are hung and the elf from Big Daddy's childhood sits and watches over us and here I sit---

warm house,

stretchy running pants--thank God I'm not wearing tight jeans---

smell of cooking Big Daddy style,

Christmas movie on the TV

and candles burning....

and

in the midst of my ordinary chaotic life,

in the midst of a lived in house

and crazy dogs 

and fun loving kids who will say anything and do anything...

I realize that what I've been waiting for my whole life

is right here  swirling around in the midst of 

all we do.

Our lights

mix and swirl and move together,

and

love

love is here and I feel a lump in my throat and joy in my step.

All month, we've been waiting, waiting for something

in our liturgical fashion

purple and white candles

greenery,

nativity scenes

and while tomorrow is the celebrated day

perhaps

if I'm honest with you--

if I never opened another gift,

never pulled another thing from my stocking,

never ate another Christmas cookie (well that may be going too far)

if...

well the truth is....

life doesn't get much richer than this ordinary off color kind of thing....and I am thankful...thankful for smells and color and light and love.

I wish all of you

happy holidays

love and laughter and joy

and

contentment most of all.

Life comes and goes,

flows if you will

and

the darkness 

continues to be broken

by rays of ordinary

unfiltered light

that shines...

from 

you and

you and

you.....

Love

that thing we've been waiting on all season...

has been here all the time...

may we embrace it

enjoy it

and

be thankful enough for it

to 

let our own light of love

shine....

so go on...

"Don't be afraid"

.....

Let it shine---

your light...

your love...

let it shine!!! let it shine!!! let it shine!!!

wishing each of you Shalom!