Small Success Thursday

We have only a few days until Christmas, but that's no reason not to stop and count our blessings today.

This week, we put up the tree and hung lights. My daughter came home and we made lists of what we need to get for each child. It's not that we have to have so much under the tree, but my husband and I both live for seeing our children's eyes sparkle because they found something they didn't dare hope under the tree. That sensation is what we're supposed to feel toward Christmas itself, to sparkle for finding someone we didn't dare hope, in the manger. So we go in search of that which will tickle their hearts.

But there's traffic and hassle and lines and people hoarding baskets and parking places. It's enough to stress out anyone and make the flame of the third week of Advent flicker. We had basketball practice and a game and two different nights with shows and one with a prayer service. Additionally, we weathered one kid with a cold and a another with a vital dental appointment. Add to that, all that we haven't yet done, and were it not for the deliberate slowing down that lighting three candles does at the dinner table, I'd be a fried hot mess.

I lit the candles. And we prayed...some...and we worked some...and some of all of it got done...but just some. But just as we only got to the third candle, we did not get to all.

But I keep reminding myself, we aren't called to get to all, we're called to simply cooperate. God will take care of the all. And eventually, we'll get to Christmas, and celebrate the incarnation of all and more than we ever dared hope.

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