This Advent was full of anticipation for me. I haven't had a Christmas with my grandmother in years. And this Christmas, we all worked together to make it happen. My parents and brother donated frequent flier miles; my grandma at 93 mustered up her courage to fly all the way in holiday frenzy. My brother flew up from southern California to meet her in Seattle and fly with her.
So while Kyrie and Mike decorated and wrapped gifts, I made Christmas cookies and planned pies and meals, cleaned and Christmas shopped.
And last night we drove to southern Michigan and met at a Greek restaurant for our first glimpse of Mark and Grandma. The only thing missing was snow. Because bizarrely, western Washington and its hated weather, followed me to Michigan and entrenched itself the last couple of months. And the rain has been beating down.
After our family dinner, we parted ways, my grandma with my parents back home to rest up for today. Mark with us to tour Detroit and look at lights in Grosse Pointe.
A few minutes before 10pm, we arrived at our little church and packed in with a crowd dressed in Christmas finery. A dimly lit church, Christmas carols, music, prayers.
We were singing when the wonderful Argentinian grandfatherly man in the pew behind me said "Is that snow?" Sure enough, as I gazed out, swirls of snow were coming down. We haven't seen snow in a month but as Christmas was descending, there was the swirl of snow. It is too wet and too warm so it didn't stick, but looking up into the night and seeing that as I sang about my Savior's birth was pure joy for me. A personal gift to the little girl in me who wanted snow for Christmas, surrounded by hardened Michiganders who are delighted that there is NOT snow this Christmas.
In a year of bad news, and more bad news, swirling into the night was a reminder that Christmas is for worship. Surrounded by fellow worshipers I was grateful that for me Christmas begins in Church. Every week I come to be reminded of Good News in a midst of bad news; Love in the midst of hate; Hope in the midst of despair. But at no time is that more poignant than at Christmas, when God left heaven and embarked on a fabulous, mysterious, project to enter our suffering, to come among us and truly LOVE us.
Christmas is full of wonderful family memories and presents to each other. But it begins for me with God's gift. Any joy I derive flows from that gift and in Church, Advent twinkled into Christmas and joy came from waiting, expectation, and preparation.
The night was divine and its beauty is with me through presents, and food, and games. And a nap, I hope.
"Truly He taught us to love one another
His law is love and His gospel is peace
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
And in His name all oppression shall cease."-O Holy Night
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