We went out to dinner tonight, a nice time with just Tim and Jay and I. Abbi and Austin were too teenagery to want to join us, so we left them. HA!
We went to a local restaurant where there 23 big flat screen televisions, more individual tv's on some tables, and 3 HUGE screen tv's. On each tv was a sports show or a news show, not every tv had a different show. It is the perfect ADD restaurant. I looked around an noticed not a single tv tuned to a conservative station at all. And the noise level was astounding. And two smokers had to put their cigarette butts in an ashtray outside our window, looked at me, and I just wanted to point to my head and say 'hey, that causes cancer and cancer sucks", which I have been known to do.
This time of year has so much stuff to do. There's just so much that I don't think anyone can come out of it unscathed by the stress and anxiety of having family and friends over or attending work functions, or going to friends and families houses. While it's beautiful, it's also crazy.
23 tv's. Different stations. Loud. Add a tv at the table to keep the youngsters entertained and you have the perfect environment to pick a tv and watch it instead of talking with your spouse. Now that's not what we did but you could watch people doing that. It was overwhelming. The noise. Oh my goodness.
But it got me thinking about the noise in our lives. I have friends and family going thru so much that sometimes I can't even hear the needs of myself or my own family. Marriages unravelling, friends/acquaintances having to go thru cancer treatments, friends suffering from extreme loneliness an depression, friends who need medications to cope with their bi polar tendencies who won't get the help they need, friends who have lost their spouse. It's so noisy.
I got to turn the noise down a bit this afternoon when I lunched with 3 friends, relaxed, did an 'easy' craft and then left to get stuff for a friend, go to Jays class for Santa Shop, run home to do some more laundry, not have to cook (YAY), having the kitchen completed for us (YAY) but running straight back into the noise.
This is supposed to be a season of rejoicing and loving and caring and giving. That is not noisy. Where does the stress come from when we are celebrating the birth of our Jesus. How is that stressful? We have to decorate, we have to get the tree out, we have to put up the lights, we have to, we have to, we have to.....
What we have to do is sit and read the story. Sit and absorb the GIFT that was given to us. Sit and contemplate that the birth led to the life, led to the ministry, led to the miracles, led to the betrayal, led to the death, led to the resurrection and leads to our salvation. That is not noise. That is the ocean waves against the sea shore, the raindrops on the roof, the roses in the garden, the deer walking thru the yard. It should be natural for us to want to sit and contemplate the deepest gift of love ever given, a birth with a mission and purpose designed by God. A son born to die to live so we can live. That is what this is about.
When the noise gets too loud and you can't hear the truth, sit down and contemplate the most love ever given to you. It is truly an amazing gift. Don't miss it. Don't let it escape. You can't buy it but you can give it. Go and share that love and spread what this season is really about. The birth of a savior who is Christ our King. It is CHRISTmas time. Merry Christmas.
Love well, love many, and love for keeps.
