Second Sunday of Advent

"...Ere by the spheres time was created, thou

Wast in his mind, who is thy Son, and Brother;

Whom thou conceiv'st, conceived; yea thou art now

Thy Maker's maker, and thy Father's mother;

Thou hast light in dark; and shut'st in little room,

Immensity cloistered in thy dear womb."

~ John Donne 1572-1631

..And Speaking of Treasures...

Some days bring surprises, serendipitous gifts filled with wonder and delight. Such is the day recently enjoyed in the company of one of my Precious Treasures. My treasures accumulated through the years come in the form of flesh and blood beings. (These are the treasures, incidentally, that last for Eternity. Praise Him!)

This particularly darling girl could truly be added to my amazing grand daughter collection. She reads voraciously, loves Jane A. Elizabeth Gaskell, and God's Word. She loves cooking, baking and eating. She loves beauty in all forms. She loves Nature and travels with a camera. She is sweet, funny, honest and all round adorable. (She also fly fishes with her dad. Awesome!)

This one is also a pilgrim whose path has had challenges that have tested her faith and refined her gold. She is a child of mine, not by blood, but through The Blood.

So, there was a phone call, a setting of time for meeting. This wasn't to be just tea and chat, we have done that numerous times. This was hopefully to give help with a college research paper yet to be written. Neither of us could have known the outcome.

The questions she brought struck an important personal, timely note. The conversation that followed not only gave her material for her writing, hopefully, but gave me opportunity to frame with words, to say out loud, the ways in which I've been lead on my own pilgrim way to this new season, how the Hidden Hand has been revealed in my life through the years, how Life's trials and trails have molded and shaped.

How amazing that just such an exercise was the needful reminder for my own challenging Now.

I can't be certain of possible blessings given to my Treasure, I am only certain of the ones received from her. And I thank our mutual Father for His good gifts.

[I love you my darling girl.]

Hat Pins and Button Hooks

New Zealand essayist/Minister Frank W. Borham (1871-1959) tells the story of a small girl running in from school telling her momma that she has learned punctuation. She goes on to explain that "if you say that a thing is so you just put a hat-pin after it; but if you are only asking whether it is so or not, you put a button hook."

Boreham concludes that sooner or later all life matters are reduced down to these two categories: either "certainties or suspicions".

As I was gathering thoughts on the Christmas account of Mary this morning, I saw this

'reduction' there. Mary had her questions in the beginning - big questions - concerning the things which were angel announced. Yet, as understanding came to her, the certainties grew larger and were seen more clearly as the questions were answered and faded away.

Mary's certainties included a settled trust in Her God and with that who she was in His sight and plan.

All this becomes a comfort to me that the really big things are represented by hat pins. My certainties in my Faith-walk outweigh my fears or speculations, they are 'stuck in'. The things that can either wait or be put aside by button hooks.

My faith is the assurance of things unseen. I can embrace the "Glorious Impossibles" in the birth account of the Christ child. I can and do cling to the merits of my Savior's cross, and the strength and mystery of His risen power. There is the certainty of the goodness and mercy that follows me all my days. Oh, and so very much more.

In these simple truths of pins and hooks, is security from the unsettling issues of my life. Here, like a little sparrow in the sight of my watchful God, I can build my nest and find rest.

Thanksgiving Retrospective

Family gatherings..just the words conjure up thoughts, memories, all sorts. Our family Thanksgivings have been the one holiday we gather together. In times past, each family unit has someone involved in ministry making a Christmas feast difficult, nay impossible. So Thanksgiving was chosen for the yearly coming together.

Generally too, it has been at least a two day affair. Each member must come with a name and occupation chosen for the time. [think: clever, silly, downright daft but never serious]

Each family unit also must come prepared to perform some talent [ very seldom serious].

When it comes to cooks in our clan, there is nary a clinker. Always the food is too good and too plentiful. Conversation flows constantly, laughter erupts frequently. We enjoy each other, the youngest to the eldest, back and forth and all in between.

But with all the changes that have or may take place there is one constant.

Following the giving of thanks, as we stand circling the table and still holding hands, someone leads out in the singing of Thomas Ken's wonderful words of the doxology. This is sung slowly, meaningfully and in full harmony.

Through the years it has become more precious. It has become the family anthem sung together in times of sorrow as well as in times of joy.

It is lovely thing, the way simple things 'just happen' and so become meaningful traditions to carry on through all generations.

Praise Him!

Gratefulness

Thou that hast given so much to me,

Give one thing more, a grateful heart...

Not thankful, when it pleaseth me:

As if Thy blessings had spare days:

But such a heart, whose pulse may be

Thy praise.

~George Herbert

___

Photo: Jaclyn Louise Peterson

Changing Course

It was 40 years ago, minus one, that Himself came home and announced that he resigned his teaching post. The very next day he came home announcing that he had been offered a position as a youth pastor.

Yesterday morning Himself again came home and told me that this was the day the men of his board felt that his resignation from the pastorate should be given to the congregation.

So you see, Dear Reader, there has been yet another dramatic change in our lives. It is not one of falling into a dark abyss - that was the first time. This is more a re-routing of the journey.

Much is and will be changed. My posts will reflect this. Looking back does not reveal a life of chance but rather Providence - the Sovereign God's Hidden Hand - moving us through each day of that part of the journey. Bear with me as in this journey ahead I share frayed rags and pieces of thought that make or will make whole cloth.

For this new phase, I'm sustained by the fact of the nearly-here Advent season and the reminder of Immanuel - God with us. Isn't that grand? The God that has led in the past is still with us guiding the future days. Ebenezer!

For today I am leaning hard while embracing all the pain and puzzlement of the Eternal Now and the uncertainty of future days.

Today's Psalter reading begins "Give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name...sing to Him...talk of all His marvelous deeds...."

That's a good thing...always is, was and shall be.

Selah

This Day

Joy is a victory signal.

It is the quiet confidence that what God has begun

He will accomplish

because

He is in charge of the details of our lives.

~Joseph C. Aldrich