One of my favorite activities is to sit on the back porch
and watch the planes.
I live about one hour north of the Nashville Airport and it
is probably less than 30 miles, as the crow flies.
The back of the house faces south and depending on how the
wind blows, I can hear the planes slowing down and can start to see the lights
and the shape of the planes. Tonight,
the sky was clear and I could watch some planes climbing toward the sky and others
coming closer to the earth. It was another
reminder of just how great it is to be alive.
Technology and the foresight of mankind are fascinating. Our world is so much smaller than it once
was.
As I watch the planes, I wonder about the people who anxiously await possible reunions, happy occasions, sad occasions, job transplants, business trips, maybe a soldier coming home for the holidays…my mind just wanders.
As a small child, Daddy would take us to the airport to
watch the planes. As we know with everything,
it was a different world back then.
People DRESSED to fly…now, trying not to have a hairy armpit or leg of a
stranger crammed into your own personal face is the goal! Ugh…
The funny thing about Daddy is that he would not fly, but he
sure was fascinated by the process.
Because he didn’t fly, I have to say that I was able to drive across so
much of our beautiful country, stopping to see some amazing landmarks and
meeting and watching some fascinating people.
I still fondly recall in my mind’s eye, the site of seeing a cowboy in
Montana, wearing spurs!! Also, it was
there in that little diner, that was as far from a 4 star restaurant as one can
get, that I had the biggest cinnamon
roll EVER (with a pat of butter on top) and the best I have ever tasted. So
many great memories are crammed in my heart.
I have been blessed to fly to some fun places and am
grateful for my many opportunities, but I have to admit, that other places no
longer call to me. I am perfectly
content to stay where I am, and try my best to find ways NOT to have to leave…I
would still like to see New England in the Fall and Prince Edward Island, but
other than that, I am content.
I wonder how many are content at this time of year. I see posts about how busy some people are,
and as they list WHAT they have to do, I see no JOY in the season…I see anger
and resentment and then those “We are keeping Christ in Christmas” posts, by
the same people LIKING and SHARING every snowman that is on the internet, often
followed by some advertisement for the NRA or Republican party….hmmmmmmmmm….I
REALLY do wonder what people mean when they say they are keeping Christ in
Christmas…(nope, I am neither Republican nor Democratic…I HATE that I have to
tell people on FB that about me and I hate that I KNOW that about people)
I don’t understand…It’s not like we haven’t known about
December 25th our whole life!!
SIGH…
What I DO KNOW is if you don’t have Christ in EVERY DAY of
your life, He sure isn’t going to be present at Christmas…AND if He IS in your
life every day, then those who see you will KNOW and don’t have to be TOLD that
you are Keeping Him there…I think THAT is the problem…is seems that post was
created for people who Having Christ in their lives is SUCH a rare occasion,
that you have to TELL people…MAYBE??? I don't understand...and really, there are PEOPLE who celebrate Christ everyday...he was NOT born on December 25th, you know!
I just pray for that person and try my best to not “feed the
monster”…
I get frustrated seeing how much people are spending on
gifts. A precious lady from South
America shared in a painting group how she had recycled some things to make
oven mittens and towels and had painted them to give as gifts. Her gifts were made from the heart and were
being given with a PRIDE for helping recycle.
THAT lady gets it! She
understands the meaning of Christmas and the importance of helping to save our
glorious earth from our wastefulness and greed.
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| Well, my FRIEND sure KNOWS about being Naughty...it is sometimes TOUGH for me to remain NICE! ROFL |
I have another friend who GETS it! I am sharing pictures throughout this post
of the gifts that a friend from THE CAPE sent me. These gifts HOPPED on a plane and traveled to
my small town in Middle Tennessee. I cried when I opened the package. While I was expecting absolutely nothing, I
was shown a kindness that can’t be expressed in a simple THANK YOU.
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| YUMMY for my tummy! |
I told Lynn that I wanted to be like HER when I grow
up. Now, let me assure you, I will NEVER
grow up and I see little hope of being that generous! I’m trying, but I am not there yet.
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| A Cynthia Erekson Pattern painted by Lynn Barbadora...This is painted on heavy Canvas...LOVE!! |
To have someone to take their time in this busy world to
paint something, to me, is priceless…
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| Charcoal tried to eat this...I think he knew it was NOT true!! |
To take the time to wrap it and ship it, is remarkable…
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| I think Charcoal is ready to eat them...He has licked the packaging...He said he did NOT know what Naughty was, but he was SURE it would taste good! |
To love someone enough to THINK of such an unselfish gift,
is KEEPING CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS…
It doesn’t happen one day a year…
It doesn’t come from a store…
It comes from the HEART…
Again, I come to you with words of how blessed I am! I send the gift to you of being able to
recognized the MANY blessings that pass through your life every single day…take
a breath…it is a GIFT….~charlotte
