Mistletoe, Memories and Mayhem

Approximately twenty three years ago, I had a major decision to make. Dwell in the circumstances or make a difference for my children. I chose the latter.
Christmas all my life, was a special time for enjoying and celebrating the birth of Jesus, through giving and praises of knowing that He began His life for me to have life. Christmas was also a time when no matter what was negative in life at home, marked a clean slate. There was something fresh and new and wonderful – people seem to be friendlier and even those that wasn’t especially nice, seemed to have a few moments of niceness. This was true except in my home.

From around the end of October until around February, my former husband took on a whole different personality. He wanted nothing to do with the holidays. It was a rude awaking the first Christmas after we married. There was no card, not gift, no Happy or Merry Christmas. There was absolutely nothing.

So as the holidays approached each year, I found myself struggling how to express what I knew without finding myself in the depth of depression. It had nothing to do with the gift, or the lights or the glistening sparkle of that time of year brought, the reality was the darkness that covered our home during that period of time. As once again the holiday’s approached, I ask the Lord to give me an outlet to make this time special for my children. He did just that.

He gave me venues of things to do with my children that were memory makers that would last longer than any tangible gift. I found Christmas programs that put great emphasis on the Birth of Jesus, a “Singing Christmas Tree” a local College presented each year, making hot chocolate and Christmas treats, and going to Mistletoe Marketplace the Junior League of Jackson put on each year as their major fundraiser. This was one of the favorites we did together, looking at all the sparkle, listening to the Christmas music and gathering wonderful ideas to run home and make. We had such good times together making our Christmas Memories together.

Over the years, the “Singing Christmas Tree” lost it’s fun, as it was usually cold and rainy, the Christmas programs became only me participating, and Mistletoe Market Place has evolved over the past years to a more stressful time than a begin the holiday time.

On Friday, I met my daughter and son-in-law, from the get go I had made my mind up that no matter what happened, I was not going to let it steal my fun. I began to realize that this was not a fun time anymore. My daughter and her husband took off, leaving me to tag along as a stranger. We made it through the whole entire event, in record time. My daughter had very few words to say to me at all.
Other events of the weekend, left me totally broken hearted that what was begun so many years early, the memories of the look on her face as a little girl, the closeness we shared during those moments has ended up as shattered splinters of my heart.

So what do I do with the mayhem that the enemy has tried to cause? I intend to bring glory to my Abba Father for the precious gift he gave me forty plus years ago, when He called me to be His Child. To forgive my children, for they just don’t understand the price that was paid for them to not have to experience the deep hurt I experienced years ago. For once again, I have a choice. I can allow the circumstance to overwhelm me or to take this opportunity and make it another platform in my testimony. And of course being who I am – A daughter of the Most High God – I have no choice but make it an opportunity.

On Sunday afternoon, Abba Father took what could have been a totally enemy havoc weekend and had a precious friend, share with me much needed groceries and a Crockpot. Was it the groceries and Crockpot that made the weekend? No it was, Abba Father letting me know that even when the enemy has taken our most precious memory making events and turned them into demonic havoc, He makes His own Memory Making Events that keeps us balanced in our journey through life.

For God’s Family stretches so far beyond DNA and man’s family – Memories and events can only be truly orchestrated my His Hand not ours. Those divine appointments that only happen when we allow ourselves to fall back into His open arms.
As I looked back on the events of this weekend, I had tried to re-orchestrate today from past memories and not allow Him to orchestrate the present. In His mercy and grace, He gently put me back on my knees and reminded me – He must have total control in every event in our life. We can’t look to the past, we can’t control, but we must allow Him to lead.