Yesterday, it snowed. From my living room windows (they take up the bulk of the outside wall) I could see a wide span of the River Market and downtown covered in a white blanket. From West of the Broadway Bridge to the Isle of Capri Casino, and all over the KC Metro, there was a fresh layer of snow. When this Louisiana girl first moved to the MidWest, snow was a new concept. Driving in it was unheard of and walking was difficult at first too! I still don't drive in it and now I wear the right shoes. And, I love the snow. It is quite mesmerizing.
Snow manages to make everything look new and ancient. The individual flakes, in their beauty, come together to build beauty in unity. It makes me wonder about our own individual beauty and gifts. I've seen cards and anecdotal stories about how we are each as unique as a snowflake. They make me roll my eyes. Maybe the stories work for some people. It took me a while, though, and some serious counseling to truly know that I am created with beauty and unique gifts. My hope for people (in Advent and beyond) is that we each learn about our unique beauty and then learn how to make beauty together in our blanket of humanity, woven together by God.
It's hard to ignore the ridiculousness that has become the Friday after Thanksgiving. With 5 a.m. store openings, lines that start the night before and news coverage, it is difficult not to feel the advertizing pressure to make your way out there. My husband and I went to Utica Square in Tulsa late on Friday, thinking we should just get out of the house. We quickly realized that it was not our scene. There were people packed in and walking away with armfuls of branded merchandise.
First off, neither Nick nor myself make too much of brands or shopping. We'd rather be home playing with the dogs or dancing in our kitchen with sock-feet. Second, we both place politeness and niceties at a premium, and it was clear at Utica Square that people were more interested in getting to that sweater (or whatever they were looking for) more than saying excuse me for bumping in to each other. It was sad.
It was more sad, however, when the news broke that an individual opening up a Long Island, NY Wal-Mart store had been trampled to death as the crowd surged to enter. In the aftermath of a death, Wal-Mart claims it did everything it could to prepare. Damour, the 34 year old man who died, was hired to be extra security. After the doors opened, people streamed in, knocked him down, and proceeded to step over him, and step on him. How in the world could people move past him without any regard to a man laying on the ground? How is a tv, camera, dvd player worth more than leaning over and checking to see if he was ok?
It as my hope that even in this economic downturn and my lack of income, Nick and I would be able to still give Christmas gifts in the way that we have done before. My decision was to make some of the gifts. I have, so far, made gifts for my girlfriends and anticipate making a couple more for some other family members. The gifts that we give are not over the top, and are meant to connect with those we love. It seems that even we get caught in the efforts of commercialization. I believe we have found a balance of remembering people with gifts; and remembering it's the people, not the gifts, that matter.
Each year, pastors try to remind people what this season is really for. First, we are in the Advent Season. (It's not Christmas, yet.) Second, Advent is about awaiting all that God has in store for us each. The story begins with anticipating the Christ-child, but is complete only when we consider what Jesus was asking of us on God's behalf. This video below is about such promises. Hope you enjoy it.
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