I dislike keeping happy secrets.This makes life hard for me, at the beginning of Janurary, because I never have my Christmas presents passed out on time. I excuse them first as Epiphany presents, then as part of an MLK celebration, then as Valentine's gifts, and the remainder are lost somewhere in my apartment to inspire guilt at a later date. The tension builds in me- almost done! I can almost share them!- and if I were at all a reponsible person it would motivate me to finish more quickly.*
I delivered a bunch last night, though, after the early evening meeting for worship. It was fun, at Houghton, to write CPO numbers on random objects and know they'd be delivered, but I like slipping gifts into mailboxes myself even better. Epiphany stars- some little, some big, some neat, some funky, all different colors and none really appropriate as Christmas ornaments.
That's okay, though. The star doesn't go over the stable, anyway, except in the Victorianesque Christmas cards. Stars are about journeys to find the Christ, not the Christmas celebration itself. Journeys through deserts and oases, fording rivers and climbing mountains, searching for the pearl of great price.**
ESRwise, I made them for friends and for attenders at early evening worship, which was a bigger list than I anticipated.*** It was a great way to spend break, though, holding each friend in prayer while making a star for them. I had a sense of joy in yesterday's meeting at seeing people back in Richmond that I think was connected to having spent that time in prayer; I don't always feel at home, here, but I felt at home yesterday with my friends.
The stars aren't all done, of course, but they'll get done.**** And I'm excited about them, even the ones I haven't finished yet.
*Or perhaps begin in November, instead of a week before Christmas.
**Or pearls of great price, for someone of my less orthodox friends.
***I could have counted, rather than anticipating, but then I wouldn't be me.
****Jess, yours and Laura's will be in the mail... eventually. Perhaps by, um, your birthday.
4 comments:
don't feel bad. I've had Hannah's present in my room for well over a month now. it's partly not my fault, because her address is... complicated. but it is mostly my fault.
Thanks again for our lovely star.
I hesitate to append this to such a happy post, but... Stephanie mentioned that your truck is no longer in its accustomed spot. Did you maybe somehow get it fixed?
No, no such luck. The truck is still quite broken, but after two months of sitting in the same place it finally garnered a sticker saying that it would be towed in 72 hours. Micki and Deborah towed it over in front of my apartment after meeting on Sunday.
I get to visit it more often now, though, so that's a plus. And I found my favorite travel mug and sweater inside. So it's a good thing, although not a miraculous mechanical healing.
Well, glad to hear that it was you that towed it and not the city. Maybe we need to have a "fix Julie's truck" party to raise some $.
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