My Overthinking

Philly Area mom, Life forever changed by adoption

Christmas Links Worth Lingering On

‘Tis the season for mothers everywhere to be running around scrubbing bathrooms, packing bags, baking cookies, and tying ribbons on packages. (please tell me I’m not the only one.)

But, when visions of sugar plums dance in your little ones’ heads and no creature is stirring except for your mouse, here are some links worth lingering on.

Incarnation – This is definitely one to linger on. It was written by Sarah Styles Bessey on the blog A Deeper Story: Tales of Christ and Culture. Sarah talks here about the “mess of the incarnation” and the experience of Christ’s birth. Beautiful post. Beware, all the Christmas posts on this blog will suck. you. in. Amazing stuff there. I am now a subscriber.

The Christmas Conspiracy – Forbes magazine features an article on the Advent Conspiracy. Excited that it’s hitting mainstream and getting some attention among whoever it is who reads Forbes’ site…which I imagine is a big ole audience.

Here, Lara, the farmer’s wife, tells all why she “does” Santa with her kiddos. We don’t. But, I am always intrigued by the whole To Santa or Not To Santa question.

Kristi puts the rest of us to shame with her Gingerbread Soiree. I mean, seriously…get ready to feel like you have zero creativity in comparison. I have vowed I will make those adorable snowman drinks for my clan sometime this winter. Please remind me of my vow come February.

Amy at Mom’s Toolbox gives instructions on how to make a mommy and kids’ activities advent calendar. Yes, too late for this year unless you want to do…well…one activity. Bookmark it for next year.

Lindsay at Passionate Homemaking shares some questions written by Donald Whitney to help you around the table on Christmas to have some significant Christ-centered dialogue. Whether you are celebrating with 25 or 5, these questions are totally worth lingering on. I’m stealing a few. Wonder how they’ll go over with my goofy uncle who always greets me with “Happy Festivus!”

Levi Benkert from Bring Love In shares how he attempts to explain the concept of the fat man in the red suit in Ethiopia. Apparently, I’m not the only one who thinks all the Santa stuff is strange.

And, last but not least…not exactly a Christmas link except that it is about a gift…or more like 10,000 gifts. My way-cooler-than-me friend Colleen, mommy of 4, 2 of whom were adopted from Uganda, is advocating for the amazing ministry Sixty Feet. If they get enough votes here, they will get a grant of $10,000 for their work. It takes a millisecond. And, they are SO close to winning. Consider it your gift to Sixty Feet.

Any posts you want to share? Lay ’em on me.

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He is There

Christmas 2009. Only 2 Christmases ago. I was a wreck. We were so close to being matched with our new child. I just knew it would be a few weeks after Christmas.

And, that meant that though I didn’t know who she was or where exactly she was, what she looked like or how old she was. I knew she was. I knew she was somewhere across the world, alone for Christmas, what was her first Christmas.

And, though I was anxious and wondering and thinking all the time about her, there was something that gave me great peace.

God was there.

Read Luke 2:6-20. Luke mentioned the manger three times. Why?

The manger was messy. It wasn’t what we picture–a wooden contraption with a sweet bed of hay. It was more like a box looking thing or basin made out of clay mixed with hay or stones and held together with mud. All kinds of food for animals were put in it, not just nice yellow hay. It was dirty, maybe moldy, smelly.

And, God was there. 

As spunky and full of life as Lydia is now, it wasn’t that long ago that she was in a pretty messy place. I believe her orphanage was one of the better ones–her needs were met. There were windows with natural light in the room where she lived 24-7. In that room were 40 cribs, but there were also some toys. But, there were older children in that orphanage too, children we weren’t allowed to see. And, I wonder what their days were like.

I’ve heard a lot of stories–about adopted children who flinch when someone moves their direction in fear that they will be hit; children who were never held, children who have come to accept that no one wants to bring home a child their age, only babies; children who suffer consequences from not having the medical treatment they needed earlier.

And, yet, I believe God is there.

God is not only not afraid to get his feet dirty; He is about getting His feet dirty.

Psalm 34:18 tells us He’s close to the brokenhearted. I can only imagine that He is very close indeed to brokenhearted children, whether they are aware of their brokenness or not. He’s there.

I prayed for our daughter 2 Christmases ago, that He would be close to her, that He would remain close to her. That He would be tangibly felt in that room where she slept. That He would wrap His arms around her when she was cold. That He’d rock her when she needed comfort. That He’d be in the manger with her. 
I know He was there.

And, somehow, in the dark places of orphanages around the world, I can’t explain how or what He always looks like there, but I believe that He’s there. In the warmth of the sun pouring in the windows, He comforted my child. In the smile of a nanny. In the gaze of another orphan. In the provision sent by charities around the world. In her broken heart. 
Somehow, He was there.
And, right now, tonight, as my children play with nativity figures and count the stars on our Christmas tree, He is here…and, He is there, somehow making an unholy place, holy.
That’s what He’s about.

photos courtesy of KC Photography

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