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“… But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13b-14 (ESV)
I had plans to start December in a special way for my kids. Their chocolate advent calendars were tucked away in the pantry, waiting for their little fingers to pull back the colorful tabs and reveal the Christmas-shaped chocolates. But the calendars were never opened December 1st. They were left behind in the rush of the school morning.
I had already imagined what our night would be like. All six of us huddled together with a special dessert while my husband read from our new Christmas book.
The little boys had hurried themselves loudly out the door, bundled up like snowmen, anxious to jump deep in the sparkling new-fallen snow with all the neighborhood children giddy over a snow day. A few moments of quiet tempted me to the old piano in our foyer. Pulling out the cheery, bright-red-covered book, I sat down on the bench, hoping to sneak in a smidge of practice while I knew no ears would be offended by the sure-to-be-sour notes. Turning past vintage illustrations of forest animals dancing and singing around a tree bedecked in popcorn and cranberries, gaily illustrated old recipes, and family craft ideas, I finally found it: sheet music for Joy To the World.
The kitchen really is the heart of our homes. Meals that anchor family time begin and end here, dough is patted, vegetables grilled and seasoned, celebrations planned, and ice cream scooped between these corners of our homes. It seems inevitable that even if there is ample seating and room to cozy up elsewhere, my entire family ends up in the kitchen to talk and share and nibble on what's cooking. Its the one room in our home where I know I can hold my kids' attention while they help me cook or peek at whatever is bubbling on the stove, and so its a great place to ask questions, to hear about their day and to tie strings of love with their hearts.
Living in a small apartment in New York City, my kitchen is teeny these days
Have you ever struggled to find joy during Christmas? I know I have.
Over the years there have been may Christmas seasons where I lost my joy. Some of the reasons behind the lack of joy during Christmas' past were: the loss of a loved one, not enough money to pay my bills, sickness in my body, my husband serving on deployments, and being far away from family and friends.
