Dusting off the Christmas Spirit...

I just cannot shake it...
Christmas, this year, feels different.
Maybe it is the shortness of the time between Thanksgiving and the Christmas holiday. It just feels faster and more hectic.
We have one more week of school to get students through finals...

Sunday was another one of those wake up Sunday morning and just feeling funky. I have those moments every once in awhile. I went to bed the night before around 8...heck I was in bed by 7:30pm. Just so tired and so lethargic. Lots going on...lots of negative...lots of stuff that is hard to shake...

I have those moments where I second guess whether or not to go to church....to stay home and wallow and do grading and this or that...or get in the car and get my butt to church to hear a wonderful message and sing a few songs and meditate on whats been going on and pray for others...health, healing, security, guidance.

Yesterday was even more of a struggle as I knew that at Dad's church they had their Christmas Contata and at Argenta it would be a message from Will. I opted to spend the morning with my Argenta family...and yet again, I was broad-sided with Will's message...a discussion of shaking off the dust and listening for God's voice saying, "Pick up your things and go to where I have commanded you."

I see this so many different ways and have mentioned this so many times in this blog. We talked about, in open discussion, about taking chances versus having stability in my life...my life is a prime example of both of these things...so many times I have spent in spontaneous movement and then feel the need to settle down and find roots. Have a home. Have a relationship. Have a child. The nurturing of a home with the ability to wrap up in a blanket with a cup of coffee and a good movie...sharing in the days adventures with the man I love and adore...yet feeling unfulfilled or being lead in different directions in different avenues of my life...

It is a struggle.

I believe that old adage of "Leap and the net will follow" and "If something scares the piss out of you, you have to try it at least once..." but feel the need for stability and security.

But how does this regard to the Christmas Story?  Perhaps it is to say you MUST shake off the dust of the Christmas memories, relish in them, hold on to them dearly, for the stability and safety you felt as a child and can feel even today. Hold on to the memories of the Christmas pasts and know that there will be more in store for us wherever the path leads us. To have faith, much like Mary and Joseph did that dark evening when they left, trusting in God to lead them to safety.

Have faith.
Have trust.
Hold on to dear ones and relish in the security they provide, sweet friends.

Carry on, my fellow sojourners, and hold the Christmas Spirit close to your heart, in whatever form it comes in this hectic season...