Source
Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights. James 1:17
The word that comes to me today is “source.” God is my Source. This is coming clearer as the bedrock truth of my life.
Oh, I won’t live it perfectly…ever. I will always have the tendency to doubt, to question, to fret, and to take matters into my own hands. But the moments when the veil lifts and I really “get it” will serve as sustaining reminders that when all is said and done, everything in my life that is good -- that reflects light – is from my Source. I am keenly aware of those lifted-veil occasions these days.
I’m grateful for those moments today when I was the open-handed recipient of good gifts.
The day started with a mission to find a box of ornaments I’d been searching for since last weekend. I didn’t want to have to replace them, mostly for sentimental reasons. After looking throughout the garage multiple times to no avail, a thought occurred to me. I asked Chip, “Have those boxes under the pool table been there for more than a year?” Sure enough, turns out the plethora of boxes containing Chance’s band paraphernalia that had been stored under the pool table for over a year had one lone oddball mixed in that had written in Sharpie across the top “Gold balls, gold string beads.” I was so happy to find it!
Once we found the gold bead strings, Charli and I were able to decorate the tree together. First comes the bead garland, then our ornaments we’ve collected throughout 36 years of marriage, then the gold and silver balls recovered from the missing box.
Nothing at all against the trees with the perfectly executed ornament placement, carefully planned themes, and Magnolia-inspired color schemes, but I love our Las Vegas-esque multi-colored flashing tree with the hodge-podge of ornaments.
I knew I would run across an ornament made by Chandler. It found a prominent place in the middle of the tree.
Many of our ornaments are rag-tag from having been unpacked, hung, repacked and stored from year to year. Each has a story to tell. Many of those stories, we can’t even recall, but we know that most of our ornaments were given to us by friends, were chosen by us at our yearly Roger’s Gardens visit, or were hand-crafted by the four CHs. They are more than just a random collection of Christmas decorations that have seen better days. They represent the unfolding of the life of our family, including the addition of more “Ch” names to various ornaments as the Espinoza family expanded through these past 36 years.
After we decorated the tree, Charli asked if I wanted to go shopping with her for a dress she needs for an upcoming formal event. What??!!! The answer to that question, or any opportunity to spend time with my girl, is always YES. Such fun watching her trying on dresses and finally finding the one. Our time at the mall ended with jasmine green milk tea, hers with boba, mine without.
Tonight Charli, Chip and I went next door to have dinner with friends. It was relaxing and so nice to hear stories about their lives and to share stories about ours. I don’t take for granted having these good people next door or living in a neighborhood where people look out for one another.
And now, I am enjoying a most lovely closing of this day – fireplace glowing just beyond my propped up feet, candles flickering, Christmas carols faintly playing on SiriusXM.
God, my Source, thank you for every single generous act that is helping carry our family through this most difficult season. For every good gift…for your peace, your comfort, your presence, your strength…I thank you. Help me look to you at every turn for what I need. Remind me always that it is all in you. Amen.
