Photo courtesy of Amy Coalter of A. Coalter Photography
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
—Isaiah 41:10
The song Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas is playing on repeat in my head this morning as I prepare to give my kids good memories that stem from their sadness. Noah tested positive for COVID-19 Sunday morning, and by Tuesday I had all the same symptoms. We are going to be quarantined for some time. The kids are devastated, but Lincoln...my light in the dark...is so positive and happy that it’s hard to not be happy when he tries to comfort us. On Sunday, as I was crying he said, “Mommy it will be ok. We can FaceTime our family while they open their presents and we can open our presents together.” He’s 5 years old, and it’s so fitting that he’s the one that knows that every bad thing can be ok. The symbolism is not lost on me. During his first two months he was put through the ringer, but so much good came from that time in our lives. Here he is again teaching me to be a better and more appreciative person.
Linc isn’t Jesus, and I’m certainly not Mary, but still, this reminds me of the time that Jesus wondered off at 12 years old. Mary and Joseph searched for Him and searched for Him which is ironic because isn’t that what all of us ultimately do before we surrender? This is His mom, though, and even she took her eyes off Him. Anyway, when she found Him, he was teaching all the scholars about the Lord, and she tried to scold Him a little for wondering off. He gently reminded her who He is and what His purpose was here on Earth. He ultimately scolded her (respectfully).
Lincoln is not perfect. He is as rotten a little boy as there ever was, but his goodness overwhelms me and scolds me. He was truly an unexpected gift from God that gives me hope every single day.
So, like Lincoln, today I’ll find the good. I’ll be trying to create memories for the kids that may not be their normal Christmas Eve festivities, but we will look at them as a gift from the Lord to have this opportunity. We get to avoid the hustle and bustle. We get to just be together. It truly is a gift. I’m going to miss being with our families, but God showed us more through this. He showed us what great family and friends we have. So many people have checked in and offered to help. So many people, have made deliveries to our porch. My mom did our grocery shopping. Marylea did the rest of our Christmas shopping. What we saw as a burden has turned into a blessing...a multitude of blessings really.
On this 2020 Christmas, just enjoy whatever place you find yourself in. It serves a purpose and if you let Him, He will use it to bless your soul. Merry Christmas from our home to yours ❤️
—Stacey