Christmas Without Kids

Yesterday morning, before the kids left, I received this plaque. Today, I am home alone. I’m actually pretty OK. It took years - 13 to be exact - to get to this place of peace in the quiet. I pray for all the single parents who are alone today. I ask that they find contentment in the silent moments before they’re reunited with their kids. Like Paul in Phillipians 4:7, I pray that,  

“the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Holidays without your children are rip-your-heart-out hard. There’s no way around it. There are good moments, sure, but there is grief in the missing, too. 

When you have the privilege of celebrating among family and friends, you’re there - but not fully there - because part of you is missing. Some moments you get a respite from the missing, but then you’re brought right back into an irksome alternate universe where the kids should be but aren’t. When you’re alone, it can be nearly impossible to distract yourself from the missing. I recommend that you breathe. Maybe color with felt-tip markers or binge on Netflix because there’s no way you’ll be able to concentrate on a book.

With 13 years of experience, I can tell you, it does get easier. It’s never fabulous, but it does get better. You don’t worry about how they’ll be when they’re gone because your kids grow up and learn to fend for themselves. If they go somewhere sunny, there’s a good chance they will wear sunscreen. If they’re cold, they can don their own gloves (gone are the days of mittens strung between sleeves.)

These days, my kids drive back and forth from their dad’s holiday festivities in their own cars. I trust that they will arrive safely, even though the roads are terribly slick today. I will not hold my breath until they get home because they have learned how to drive in the snow and ice. I trust them. And guess what – they trust me. They know that I will display a sufficient level of concern but not be freaked out by every little thing like I was when they were younger. (I’m not taking credit here; it’s a gift from God - and from all the years of experience of them arriving home safely.)

They love that I’m their mom. What more could I ask for at Christmas?

Too Small

There’s an old African saying that goes like this:  If you think you are too small to make a difference, try spending the night in a closed room with a mosquito.

Steppin' Out of the Comfort Zone

I was a backstage "roadie" during the elementary school talent show last night. Every few acts I went out on stage to place microphones, music stands and such. True to form, I was in and out of the spotlight as fast as humanly possible. I would dart out from behind the curtain, drop the mic somewhere near the mark, and scuttle back to our dimly lit control center.

My dear friend Barbara convinced me to step out from behind the curtain for more than 15 seconds and join her in singing a little ditty announcing intermission. I'll do just about anything for Barbara. She is incredibly creative. Her boundless enthusiasm is contagious.

Barbara epitomizes 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

Thank you Barbara for bringing me out of the dark and into the light :).

How have you stepped out of your comfort zone lately?

I pray that the Lord fill you with His peace, joy, and strength today. XOX, Cheeky

You Can

"Do all the good you can, 
by all the means you can, 
in all the ways you can, 
in all the places you can, 
at all the times you can, 
to all the people you can, 
as long as you ever can." 

               - John Wesley

The Life You Can Save

If you're looking for a way to make a difference today, check out this effort by Peter Singer, author of the book, "The Life You Can Save."

Publishers Weekly describes the book this way, "Part plea, part manifesto, part handbook, this short and surprisingly compelling book sets out to answer two difficult questions: why people in affluent countries should donate money to fight global poverty and how much each should give...Singer doesn't ask readers to choose between asceticism and self-indulgence; his solution can be found in the middle, and it is reasonable and rewarding for all."

Take the pledge to donate 1% of your income to charity at http://thelifeyoucansave.com/.

I hope you have a beautiful day ladies and gentlemen. You are in my prayers XOXOX, Cheeky

John 3:8

"The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."