On gifts and the giver

I have this friend, Holly. Here she is.


(Pardon my bloated face. That's the look I typically go for during the holidays. Loverly)


Anyway, Holly is a fellow blogger...quite more consistent though. I actually mentioned her in my last post....She and I have known each other since we were three years old, and were best buds growing up on Crestview. We truly lived our childhoods together. We would walk the 1/10 of a mile between our houses holding hands, hoping that the cars driving by would think us conjoined twins. Had it been possible, we would have willingly attached ourselves to one anothers' hip. We played Barbies, started clubs (the most notable one, we named the "Armed Pits," for which, together with our brothers, we dug a hole under their big pine tree in the side yard. I think it was some kind of trap. Don't ask...). We had a book of secrets (probably more than one) and had some inside joke where the phrase "pickle legs" would send us into hysterical giggle fits. I could quite literally, spend a day telling you of the many memories of my elementary school days that involved Holly.

Over the years, our friendship has changed, but, and this is really cool...our moms are friends, and the four of us have always gotten together at least once over the holidays to celebrate Christmas. This is a loooongstanding tradition, and it's pretty awesome to look forward to each each. Anyway, this year is going to be especially awesome since it's going to involve pajamas, pizza, and playing a game of Taboo that we has been on pause since last December. Hol and I are in the lead. We are also going to divulge our deepest darkest secrets. Kidding, kidding. But, we did commit to intentional reflection, and the sharing of meaningful thoughts from 2011. So I need to kick it into high gear and start some serious reflection on 2011. It's been a good year, a big year, and all in all..yeah...one for growth.

Christmas season is upon us. How do I know? Because there was a line outside of Target this morning at 7:30, a half hour before it opened. Don't even get me started. Btw, this is my public reminder to anyone in the Indy area--stay away from 82nd and Allisonville from now until Dec 26. It'll take you 90 minutes to park at Castleton. You have been warned.

Anyway, Christmas always makes me think about Gifts as an expression of love. And so I was particularly primed as I read from the book, A Hunger for God, this evening as he write about our satisfaction in the Lord. You see I've always wanted to walk the delicate balance of being satisfied yet still hungering for more righteousness. Being content yet dissatisfied with the way things are. Its a tough line to walk, indeed. Once I finish the book, a post will be forthcoming. Stay tuned. But I'm getting into my classic Christmas-reflection mood, where I think on the past year.

And this year has been one marked by God being faithful, even when I am faithless. God being always gracious when I am so often not. God being the same, when my desires change in a moment. When 2011 began, I chose a word that I wanted to guide how I lived and thought and prayed, and I chose "faithful." I had high hopes of growing in my faith and choosing to live in such a way that would mark me as a faithful doer of the Word. "Faithful" is written on cards and tucked away in places that I will see throughout each day...in my closet, taped to my work desk, in my wallet. I wanted to saturate my life with reminders to be faithful in habits, thoughts, words and deeds. And even now, I think that's a good goal, but that's not really what happened. Certainly the Lord has been good and gracious and has helped me grow in some areas, but the overall lesson this year? Not that I am now somehow more faithful, but that God has ALWAYS BEEN.

I could sit here and spend the day recounting stories of his faithfulness, not only this year, but throughout my life. And what I'm most grateful for in His faithfulness is his steadfastness. He does not change even when the only consistent thing in my life the past few years has been inconsistency...in things both in and out of my control. His faithfulness, His provision, His sustaining grace...These are the gifts for which I am thankful, these are the things I will recount when I gather with an old friend this holiday season.


Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.