I had many comments after my last blog from people who were really concerned about me. I guess that I was just being honest that these months have been hard! And while I do have moments of being lonely, the thing is, I think that because I was so honest in that last blog, this week it has been easier to not miss some really cool, unexpected surprises. These surprises have brought me so much joy, so much peace. A really good way to go into Christmas week.
This extremely young looking couple is Ken and I. I know this picture was taken around Christmas of 1972, just after Ken and I started dating. I received this picture, along with 4 other photos that I had never seen, from the friend that actually introduced Ken and I. Marie's Christmas card was such an unexpected surprise and certainly brought a smile to my face.
Shortly after receiving Marie's card, I decided to start the Jigsaw puzzle that I had planned for Christmas week. I bought two puzzles several weeks ago on a buy one/get one free sale. I was picking up several other items that day and just grabbed these two puzzles off the rack without really looking closely at them.
When I opened the puzzle, I didn't look very carefully at the box, mainly looking at the colors and the actual content of the puzzle. And then I actually looked at the insert.....
I wish I could figure out how to highlight a portion of this. This artist is from my place of birth - Watertown, South Dakota. And there is not much that you can say about Watertown. So Terry Redlin is quite a big deal. It was such a reminder to me that Jesus knows exactly what we need, when we need it. Again, a bit of joy from an unexpected place. The puzzle is actually really hard and taking me so long to even get the border done. But, I have plenty of time to work on it!
I had a grocery pick up order, something that has become just a part of my usual routine. But this time, I received these added treats
There was a little bag with all these sample products which was such a surprise. Kind of fun to try so many different products. And then I realized that my bags also included that bag of Peppermint Bark. I don't know why that candy made it into my bag, but it is my Christmas favorite and if I had been shopping in the stores, I would most certainly have purchased these. But here it was, just a gift to me. What a touch of joy.
So my pickup order had a couple of items that were "not available", one of which was bread. Bread is something that I really don't want to go without. So I decided to go to the small local store that is right in my neighborhood. I planned to only grab the bread and get out of the store. As I was walking down the bread aisle, there to my surprise were these....
Needless to say, I bought all three boxes. Tapioca is just one of those childhood things that I just love. I ran out sometime in October and I have been looking and looking for tapioca all over the place. I even had Gwen and Tim looking for me. And then we discovered that there is actually a tapioca shortage that is partly caused by COVID but also my weather conditions where Tapioca is grown. Who would have known that Tapioca could be so hard to find? At any rate, I really needed this little burst of joy this week! And the Tapioca pudding is chilling in the fridge right now.
And then for the biggest bit of joy in an unexpected place. I had decided to sponsor a child through Compassion International but was going to wait until after Christmas to actually go through the process. I was awake during the night, unable to go back to sleep. (Nothing very new for me, and not a real concern). At any rate, I decided to watch a few Vlogs that I follow. One family Vlog is called "Our Tribe of Many" and I have followed them for quite awhile. The dad is from Kenya and the mom is from the US. They have ten kids and I love their perspective on life. They have had a challenge since Thanksgiving to have their followers sponsor children through Compassion International. The Vlog I watched, the mom mentioned that they had 91 children sponsored through their channel. I decided right then to click the link on their bio and see about sponsoring a child to help them reach 100 children sponsored. The first child that came up was this little boy...
I almost couldn't believe it when I started to read the information about this child. First of all, he had been 464 days without a sponsor. That is a long time. And then I noticed his birthdate. It is a very special day for our family. That date is also the day that my grandson Lucas was born. Such a special way to honor Lucas' memory. And then I noticed that he lives in the Philippines. I had just received an email that my Operation Christmas Child boxes had gone to the Philippines this year. And those boxes are always done in honor of Lucas. Needless to say, this was more than just a little prompt. I hit the button and now can say that little Entoy is in my heart and prayers. What a feeling of joy and so perfect for Christmas week.
For sure, Jesus has shown me not to miss those small things that bring joy into us. I feel so thankful for each of these ways that I felt the comfort and care of these unexpected and out of nowhere treats. Getting those old photos brought a smile to my face and also the memories that each picture held. And with each of these other small things, a smile filled my face. So while I know that I will certainly still have times of loneliness and grief, I am feeling much more calm and settled.
I've been thinking about this a lot today. Isn't it funny how some silly little things can totally change your mood? I just love that Jesus knew what I would need to shift my thinking and then there was provision for each of these surprises. Isn't it wonderful that this season of surprises comes at the darkest time of the year? Each year we get to celebrate the Light of the World coming to us as the biggest surprise ever. As a tiny little baby, born in a stable and sleeping in a manger, Jesus brought "Joy To The World!" And every year we get to join and sing and remember that joy.
Jesus, thank you for bringing us light at the darkest time of the year. Holy Spirit, help us all to see those small little surprises that can raise our spirits and bring smiles to our faces. Give us reminders to listen for your gentle nudges when there are ways that we might be the surprise bringers for those around us. Thank you Jesus for showing your love through your life on earth. Remind us to listen to the words of all of the familiar carols as we join in singing this Christmas. Amen
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