It is December 20th.
There is no snow on the ground.
I am not snuggled up at home in Esko, grateful to be
finished with finals.
I haven’t made any impromptu roadtrips to visit friends
across the state.
My Christmas tree is all of 1.5 feet tall and is decidedly artificial,
compared to the towering pine that has been chopped down and brought to our
living room.
There is no brown dog sniffing around for scraps or begging
to have someone scratch her head or hold her hand.
For the first time in my life, Christmas will not be spent
with my parents and sisters, going to church, exchanging gifts, playing games,
serving at the Christmas Day Dinner, watching movies and eating far too much
delicious food for our own good.
There will be no trip to Camp for the summer staff reunion
for the first time in 5 years.
I could be sad about that I am missing out on...
Instead,
It is December 20th.
Today is my final day of work before I have three weeks
off-to rest, travel, celebrate and rejuvenate.
The weather outside may not be snowy, but it IS a bit
frightful at times! Windy, rainy, and blustery days are inter-mixed with gorgeous
sunny days that almost make me feel like it’s not actually December.
Evenings are spent snuggled up in my lovely little flat,
reading, cooking, Skyping, enjoying the light of the little Charlie Brown
Christmas tree that I have come to love.
Perhaps I should have said, the two-ish evenings that are
not filled with Christmas parties, dinners, and programs will be spent in my
lovely little flat! The month of December has flown by—so many parties and festivities,
tree lightings and little kids Christmas pageants have filled my evenings!
While I may not have traveled far and wide to see my
friends, I have wonderful people here-my YAGM, my incredible host family and
the friends that I have made have helped to make this Advent season rich in
company and conversation. I am blessed beyond belief to have people who love me
here, and for the opportunity to have one of my loved ones traveling to see me
for the New Year. People near and far have helped to make this December
altogether beautiful.
Christmas will be celebrated twice—once on the 24th
& 25th and again January 6th & 7th,
due to the fact that half of my host family (myself included) is Lutheran and
will celebrate according to the Western calandder, while the other half is
Orthodox, so we will celebrate again in the New Year. ‘Tis the season , so why
not celebrate!? Good food, family time, parades (with bagpipes and drum lines!)
and so much love!
AND perhaps the most notable of all:
I AM SPENDING CHRISTMAS IN BETHLEHEM.
Woah.
Since living here, I haven’t been able to listen to
Christmas carols or read the Bible in the same way—they reference the place
that I live, where I’ve visited. This is the place where it all began, where the
reason for our faith came to dwell with us in a simple and humble manner:
We are told of a Bethlehem that is bustling, due to the
census, streets crowded, hotels booked to the maximum capacity.
We hear of the kindness of an unnamed hotel owner who,
though he had no room for them in his inn, made room for them in the warmth of
his stable.
We hear of an ordinary, yet extraordinary birth, of those
who visit and sat in awe at the little miracle. The tired, young, and exhausted
parents whose lives have changed so drastically in such a short time, all due
to the willingness to listen and trust in God.
We hear of shepherds who drop everything and go when the
angels appear to them in their fields…the fields that are along my route
towards the library, where we spend part of our YAGM orientation, and where
countless others have trodden.
Christmas is coming. And so we wait, watch and wonder at the
beauty of it all. Be present with those you love—though time together, the
wonder of technology, and cherished memories. Be thankful for the opportunity
to learn and live in this beautiful world. Enjoy the weather—whatever that may
be!
And when you remember that humble stable, in the little town
of Bethlehem, know that this little town is bustling yet again, making
preparations as visitors, pilgrims and families pour into town. Much like your
home, this city is filled with lights, delicious smells, festive carols, and
anticipation at the celebration of the baby Jesus, God with us, Emmanuel.
