Transforming Hearts

When will I learn?

To find Christmas,
one must first
set the tone.
For me, that means:

trimming the tree,
spreading out linens,
hanging window ornaments,
lighting candles,
setting the Nativity
under the tree,
and stepping back
to take in the view.

The process took hours. Yet, what once seemed a heavy burden, now feels a light load. Today I understand why:

our truck battery went dead Saturday so that I would leave it running Monday, take the key pad with me and lock the doors while I ran into church to look for white fabric to sew one more angel costume for this Sunday's church Christmas program;

why Ford's glitch caused me to be locked out and need a towing company to open my vehicle that had idled 45 minutes;

why, when I finally got into the driver's seat, my right-hand pointer-finger nail ripped into my finger tip causing me such pain that I could neither paint gift figures that I should have sent last week to Norway, type my Christmas letter to go with our photo cards or cut out and sew the costume;

why I finally cried out: What is it Lord, YOU want me to do today? I know it's not sewing, writing or painting – anything I'd planned;

and why – in reply – He put it on my heart to bandage my finger and meditate about the three most important preparations I needed to make this Christmas – the top one being to satisfy my youngest son's Christmas decoration desire... a task of my hands... to clean the center of our home (leaving the rest for another day),

open the

Christmas

Chest

and

make way

for His Son.


When Noah came home from school, he said, "Oh Mom! You put up the tree. Now it's Christmas. Thank you!"

I too offered my thanks – heavenward – for Transforming Hearts.