It’s been a busy time, here in the House O’Quill.  We are expecting guests over the Christmas holiday.

Usually, my mother-in-law, The Dynamo, and her husband, The Engineer, join us. And their dog, Abby.  This year, we also invited FurnitureGuy, my brother-in-law.  And of course, it is a joy for my husband to celebrate Christmas with both his siblings, so AvonLady and her son have been invited, too.  And I was told in an email this week that AvonLady’s boyfriend will be joining us.  So, we’re going to have a lot of guests!

Now, since my in-laws have purchased a house down the street for investment purposes, there is a place for all of these guests to sleep.  Spousal Unit has been spending a great deal of time there, getting it ready.  And now, there is a deadline, for it absolutely has to be “habitable” by Christmas Eve!  And, because my in-laws do wish to sleep comfortably, The Dynamo has bought and shipped a few luxurious air-beds with memory foam toppers. And she has funded the purchasing of new sets of bedding, as well (for the House O’Quill is not equipped for so many beds being used simultaneously!).  All of these new things are sitting in my house as the other house is being prepped and painted and cleaned.

Now, I’ve decorated a little here in our house.  I have tried, anyway.  The boys helped. :)  My manger scene has the place of honor on the low bookcase near the door, as it does every year.  But this year, a huge box of “Christmas” is stuck in front of it.  A box that weighs, according to UPS, 73 pounds. It’s a gift from The Dynamo and we cannot open it.  Neither can we move it anywhere, since it is so huge that it appears to be a boulder in the living room.

I realized just now that I have been enormously effected by this.

I have let all these boxes block my view of the joy of Christmas as my view to the Nativity Scene is blocked.  The joy of the birth of my Lord to the world of Men.  The joy of anticipation.  The joy of family.  The hundred small celebrations that I have always enjoyed as this Season progresses.  And it wasn’t due to the busy-ness. It was due to my perspective.

It was very humbling.

So, right after I’ve had my breakfast, I am going to move all this stuff. I don’t know where I’m going to put it, but since I moved my heart and head around, surely I can relocate some enormous boxes in my living room.  Even if it means sticking them in my office.  I will do that to preserve my recreated view of a wonderful moment in time.

And, I will make sure to give thanks for the lesson, every day.  God is so very good.

Tags: Christmas, family, God, joy, Life, perspective

Being a mom is very frustrating at times.

Take today, for example.  (Please!)

My elder son, Cyclone, has been given the assignment for his Honors Biology class to put together a speech about why the class should elect the Nucleus as President.  (As opposed to other organelles in the average DNA-enabled cell.)

This means that the teacher is wanting the kids to approach the classic Report on Cell Structure with some creativity.  Some fun. And some public speaking entertainment.  This is great.

Now, Cyclone is fortunate. He has a former champion public speaker in the house.  One who can help him get all the salient points required into his presentation AND do it in such a manner as to amuse and entertain his classmates and teacher.  This is a biggie, in something like this. Means the difference, sometimes, between and A and a B.

I presented Cyclone with some good ideas.  We found some necessary visual aids. I offered him tips on how to deliver his presentation with notes and how that could be made to look totally in theme with the Presidential Campaign Stump Speech.

He laughed, too.

But at the end of all of the discussion, he looked to me and said, “Mom, will you forgive me if I don’t take any of your advice?”

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I was struck, here, by how we might act in our relationship with God.

God knows we have jobs to do.  Some of them are written out very clearly, some not so clear.  He has given us assistance in the forms of Scripture and friends and experiences that we can draw upon to complete our tasks.

He wants us to be successful.  Just as I want my son to be successful.

Yet how often do we look up at the Lord God and say to him, as my son said to me, “Will you forgive me, Father, if I don’t take any of your advice?”

And our Father says to us, “I love you and I want you to be successful.  I won’t do this for you, but I will show you how to do it successfully, bringing out the best parts of yourself so that others can see you as I see you.”  But he will allow us to do the task (or even ignore it!) our own way.  He’s given us the freedom to be less than he would wish for us.

I know that I have disappointed my Lord on many many occasions.  I have asked for forgiveness countless times, as I err.  Still he is gracious to forgive me each time.

As I will, of course, forgive my son if he does indeed choose to ignore all the resources of time and talent that I could share with him and just do this presentation without my input.

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So yes, Cyclone. I’ll forgive you.  I love you.

Tags: family, God, Life, resources