So many holiday seasons have passed to quickly. This year was definitely another one. Saturday morning we drove the 3 hours to the in-laws house, played with cousins and had the family Christmas early afternoon. By late afternoon, I crashed on the couch along with a few others. I kept tossing, noting HOW achy I felt and just kept sleeping. From 4 to 9 exactly. I finally got up and wandered into the kitchen and fixed some leftovers. Yummy fried steak and potatoes. I watched another hour of Christmas movies and then crashed again. I woke up almost every hour, aching worse and had a bad headache. And by 6 the next morning I finally stopped tossing and got up to the bathroom. The next thing I knew I was laying in the floor. I knew when I stood up I was lightheaded, but when I finally came around I was more thankful that I had not hit my head. (The is NOT to be taken lightly anymore because another Rule-ian, Coach Brilles brother Eddie passed away several weeks ago from a nasty fall, resulting in head trauma.) So clearly my little passing out spell was scary even though I was fine. I guess I managed to moan and groan enough that my sweet mother-in-law heard me and helped me get up and cool off. Unbelievable how quickly a sickness can come over you. I was floored because literally 3 days later I still wasn't myself and still the 4th day had some of the symptoms lingering. I just hadn't been hit that hard for so many days in a row since college when I had strep for 4 days with high fever.
So all that to say, I was sad when I came around 3-4 days later to realize that Christmas was here and I had missed my break entirely. I rolled over at 3:30 this morning in horror to realize "the gifts" had not been left under the tree and the 3 year old had somehow managed to sneak in bed between us. UGH! I shook Jody several times to a reluctant elf and asked him to get up while I watched Cale sleep. He got up and was the LOUDEST helper EVER!! Ripping boxes open and setting up. I just knew he would either wake Cale or Reece, but thankfully we were fine. I rolled out of bed this morning to Reece's screams "HE CAME"......her pluto and flutter fairy were waiting and "MOM, DAD! He brought Cale's ninja turtles!" So 5:30 came very early at our house to groggy headed parents, but the little fellow held onto sweet dreams until 8:00. So a quick "hooray" and more pics with him, then I threw myself in the shower, wrestled the tangles out of this mane, and threw some scrubs on to go in to work. Yes, it is true. I prayed extra, that after the way I felt, that the load today would be super light. And thankfully it was.
Other than fighting another headache, I feel better but it still saddens me that I missed so much fun with family and the kids. Christmas comes but once a year.......
So in my obvious sulking today, Jesus birth overcame me yet again. Christmas comes but once a year. Really? His birthday does, but OUR Christmas is every day. For every day we have a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Unlike our new presents we unwrapped today, He is new and renews us every day. He heals, protects, gives, provides, lifts, and takes care of us. DAILY. That tiny little baby. So many of our friends have posted sweet facebook pics of their newborns and in scrolling through the pictures, one thing is sure. A baby is tiny, delicate, but somehow durable. A tiny strength. A completeness. But still so tiny. So our Savior came in the form of a tiny baby to grow and walk among us. What a sweet entry into the world. What a quite, unannounced way to enter the world as a KING. Funny how we want fanfare for us coming into work/school/church, or like our kids showing up for school and wanting everyone to know it. What a Savior!!
This Christmas was just another humble reminder for me that I am truly unimportant. That even as a mom, wife, aunt, homemaker, supervisor, therapist, teacher, friend, and daughter, the reason for this season will still come and go whether we are ready for it to or not. It will still pass. That occurred to me through all the rest I got while I was down. That it is not up to me. The importance of today was set. It happened long ago. There was a birth, a death, a resurrection. It is finished. We celebrate today knowing that. The most important thing to me this Christmas is that HE CAME and in our hearts we celebrate!
Blessings to you and your family!! Merry Christmas!!
