BANG!
Again my closed eyelids grimaced along with the rest of my body as I realized that my loving mother was YET AGAIN waking me up with the banging of metal pan lids and Christmas music.
It's August.
Oh dear.
My mom.
Precious woman.
Light of my life.
Christmas sadist.
That woman loves Christmas. Every day of every week of every month, growing up and even now, you can walk into our house and hear Christmas music playing. Burl Ives, Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, anyone with a voice on a record played throughout my childhood. Into my later "tweenage" years our cassette player had Alabama and Reba McEntire crooning out Silent Night.
I WISH IT WOULD'VE BEEN SILENT.
And now we have the joys of furthered technology. She found out what Pandora was!
Oh hooray.
At any time, anywhere, in any situation, the lyrics to Silver Bells are playing in my head.
Being in mental health this semester of nursing school.....it makes me believe I'm under a St. Nick psychosis, also known as Krismosis Kringlosis. (Yeah, I did that. So sue me.)
She drives me nuts. And everything's themed! At one point of time we had ELEVEN THEMED CHRISTMAS TREES throughout our house! We had a laundry one by the dryer, a patriotic one near the window because we're American, we had a Santa one FULL-SIZED....ON A TABLE.....right in front of the television! THERE IS NO LOGIC THERE?!?!
I must say when carolers come to the door, I usually answer with a ketchup covered chef's knife and ask them if they can come back in twenty minutes. Ain't nobody got time for Christmas.
My favorite movie is the Grinch. I never watch the end. I enjoy his personality before "the change."
Yeah, not a fan these days. The Merry-time overload I had growing up did me in.
It is precious though. She starts decorating for Christmas by October and come Thanksgiving it looks like a Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer projectile vomited all throughout our Winter Wonderland of a house.
It's her favorite season! As much as she drives me BONKERS, I can't help but appreciate how much she enjoys the season of said holiday.
When that adorable little Poinsettia-loving, Christmas cookie baking, present-wrapping extremist says, "But honey....I LOVE CHRISTMAS! It's THE BEST SEASON!" I respond with, "But there are so many other seasons to be enjoyed! Emphasizing on this one HAS RUINED IT FOR THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE!!!!"
Hahaha.....but wait, how many times do I do just that in my life? I'm in a season of life, whether difficult or wonderful, that should be appreciated, and I've begun "dragging out the christmas lights" way too early ahead of time?
Are you with me folks?
Perhaps you do it too.
Single people or even dating people, are you so wrapped up in the pursuit of marriage has taken you away from the ministry you have NOW, the loved ones you have NOW, the opportunities you have NOW?
Moms and dads, are you so focused on building a financial future and safety net for your kids that you've forgotten that they're with you NOW, they love you NOW, they need you NOW?
These are just a few examples...mirroring my own issues...I can think of so many! I get so focused on my career as a nurse, I forget the ups and downs of nursing school, the fun of clinicals, the friends being made, and what I could be doing NOW! (Are you ready for me to throw away my CAPS button?)
Jesus Christ rebuked Martha as she prepared for an evening of fellowship with her sister Mary in Luke 10. While Mary lay at His feet, Martha, in frustration, busied herself with the preparations she felt was "needful" for the coming hours with her Friend. In this frustration, she begs Him to encourage Mary to join Martha, but He tells her that Mary is doing the "one thing that is needful", and that was fellowship with Him in the moment. Mary took full advantage of that season of the evening, the time she had with Christ...and He blessed her for it.
Don't forget what is needful....enjoy your season. NOW.
