Keeping it Little: How do you have a merry little Christmas?

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

—Matthew 1:23

I’ve been creating themed Christmas cards with my family for 18 years now. It’s one of my holiday traditions. For my most recent cards, I’ve included my grandchildren. But now that they are spread across the country, with some in Pennsylvania and others in Texas, getting a photo with all of them in it at the same time is challenging. Creating a photo collage seems to be the best option. But now that the number of my grandchildren is growing, with one added to the total in March with the birth of Sebastian, finding a collage template with photo spots to match that number is also challenging. I was delighted when I eventually found one suitable for my card and quickly went to work placing my photos on the palette. As I surveyed my work, I noticed a little word in the middle of the pre-printed Merry Christmas greeting. Little. Yes, that’s it. “Merry Little Christmas.” I smiled as it seemed to perfectly match my card with all my littles. But it also gave me pause. How do we have a merry little Christmas?

Cut It Out: How can we walk out God’s good plans when our foot is caught in a web of destruction?

I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

—John 15:1-2

“Oh, no!” I gasped when I caught sight of my beloved lilac bush covered with webs. “The webworms are taking over,” I groaned. Already they had consumed my black walnut tree and another at the edge of the pasture. Why did they have to choose my lilac to chew on next?

Lilacs are special to me, a sweet reminder of my loving grandmother, who shared my childhood home. Her lilac bush graced the corner of our screened back porch and bloomed just once a year, in April, her birth month. I can still see the lavender-colored cuttings arranged in a Mason jar in the center of the kitchen table. The fragrant aroma filled the room like the presence of Grandmama's gentle spirit.

Now the insects had draped their deadly cloaks over my lilac bush, covering it from top to bottom, killing every green leaf and causing sadness to drape over me at the mere thought of my lilac never returning.

Was there anything I could do? The niggling thought plagued me each time I rounded the corner of my house. Nah, it’s hopeless, I returned.

Paced for the Weekend: How are you moving?

O God, you cause abundant showers to fall on your chosen people.

When they are tired, you sustain them.

—Psalm 68:9

It’s one of those mornings when I walk around with marshmallow feet. I dare not make a sound that would disturb the love-tones, lulling my spirit. The rhythm of rain, splashing on broad leaves of canna lilies. Hummingbirds, humming in key. And the hushed whisper of God, telling me I am right where I’m supposed to be. The quiet answer to prayer.

It had been a hard week, one that started with sickness and ended with exhaustion, as I pressed through to order my classroom for the start of school. And then I wondered how I should spend the three-day weekend. Travel to be with family to celebrate birthdays and the last official hurrah of summer? I deserved that, didn’t I? I missed my family. But I would have to contend with busy holiday weekend traffic and the expense. Or should I stay home to rest and prepare for the upcoming week and save money in so doing?

As a Man Thinketh...What are you thinking of Today?

Brothers and sisters, continue to think about what is good and worthy of praise. Think about what is true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected.

—Philippians 4:8

Every time I go outside and look at the zinnias beside the house, my eyes go straight to the dirty siding instead.

When I look at those that line my sidewalk, my eyes go to the dead leaves that flank the bottom of the flowers. It is not a pleasing sight. 

However, when I sit at my kitchen table with my window open wide, the sight of those same flowers, their faces looking up at me, takes my breath away. 

The difference is in my perspective.

Our view on life, or even ourselves, can be much the same way. We can focus on the negative and miss the beauty before us, or we can zoom in on the good things and be awed by how blessed we truly are.

London Bridge is Falling Down: How can we be sure that what we trust in is safe?

Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.

—Deuteronomy 31:8

I cringe (and pray!) every time I have to drive through the arch created when a March wind storm blew one tree over to rest in the limbs of another. But sometimes I make light of the situation, saying the trees are playing London Bridge.

Are you familiar with the children’s singing game? Two children join hands high to form an arch while others march through, each holding onto the waist of the one in front of them. Either the bridge makers or all the children sing:

London Bridge is falling down,

Falling down, falling down,

London Bridge is falling down,

My fair lady.

At the last word, the children forming the bridge quickly lower their arms to capture a prisoner. The song continues with more stanzas like “Get the key and lock her up.”

I have fond memories of playing the game with my siblings and cousins, laughing when I was part of the fallen bridge that captured a prisoner. Now when I approach the foreboding tree arch, I shudder at the thought of being captured. I breathe a quick prayer and accelerate my way through.

Cast All Your Care

Cast all your care upon Him, because He cares for you.

—1 Peter 5:7 MEV

One unseasonably warm day in February when my daughter Emma and son-in-law Ricky, along with their two children, were visiting, we all went for a walk on the farm. True to our habit, we stopped at the pond for four-year-old Layla to throw in a few stones. Ricky joined her and challenged himself to throw a stone as far as he could. I watched the concentration on his face as he intently cocked his arm. Then with all the finesse of a Major League Baseball pitcher, he hurled the rock, shooting it higher and farther than I had ever seen. It smacked the water hard, then sunk below the surface, its entrance marked only by ripples that quickly disappeared, returning the pond to its placid state.

White Roses: Can we really be thankful in all circumstances?

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

—1 Thessalonians 5:18

It was time to throw out the sad bouquet of pink and white roses, its yellowing leaves falling off and petals turning brown around the edges. I moved the vase to the counter next to the sink and began to lift out the flowers. With a closer look, I noticed that the entire bouquet was not bad. Carefully, I pulled out the good roses, which happened to be white, and placed them in individual vases that I set in various places around my home.

I thought about how sometimes our life situation is like a sad bouquet. Maybe our marriage is falling apart, our health failing, or we’ve experienced the loss of a job or loved one. We wish we could throw out the whole matter. But it is beyond our control. And we wonder, Where is God in all this? Why is He allowing these things to happen when He has the power to stop it?

Rise and Shine

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

Isaiah 60:1 (NRSV)

A flash of color on my stone path caught my eye. I stooped to get a closer view. A pansy, dressed in the color of kings, met me face to face. I gasped.

“How did you get here?” I asked, but all the while I knew.

In the fall, the wind picked up a seed from my plants on the deck and tossed it down below to the crack in the path. The seed found a bed in the dark earth and slept there all winter.

Spring came and switched on the light, like my mother used to do to wake me for school.

“Rise and shine!” she would say, as she threw back my cover. And I would long to switch off that light, cover my head and go back to sleep.

When we live in sin, we are like that. We want to stay in the dark and away from the light that exposes our sin. But when we admit our failing and allow God’s Light to penetrate our heart of stone (see Ezekiel 36:26), He will forgive our sin (see 1 John 1:9) and give us new life, like the sun gives to the pansy seed.

He will fill our heart with joy, and we will spring forth to bring joy to those along our path.

Lord, let the light of Your face shine on us (Psalm 4:6b).

The Weaning Process: It's good for cows, but is it good for you?

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

—Psalm 30:5b

“What’s that?” I wondered out loud. I turned down the volume on the TV so I could hear what was going on outside. “Cows mooing at 8 PM?” I was puzzled, for cows rarely moo at night. I shrugged and turned my attention back to the TV.

“What’s that?” I rolled over to see the clock. “Cows mooing at 2 AM? That’s really strange,” I thought. Too tired to investigate, I pulled up the covers and went back to sleep.

At 6 AM I blinked my eyes open and stumbled to the coffee pot. I placed the steaming cup on the table and picked up a book. But I couldn’t concentrate on reading because of the cow moo-athon. “What is going on?” Hesitating no longer, I picked up my phone and texted my farmer brother.

His response explained it, “We just weaned some calves.”

“They sure don’t like it!” I texted back.

Stuck: What do you do?

Have you ever been stuck and didn’t know what to do? Stuck in a job, stuck on a project, stuck in an unhealthy relationship? Recently I got an invitation to submit my work for publication in an upcoming book, but it came with a challenge: use only monosyllabic words, with a few exceptions. It took me three tries to produce something acceptable. This poem is my second try. Maybe you can identify with my struggles.