Madalynn and I left from Virgie's at 7 am this morning. The roads were all but abandoned, and the moon was gloriously full in the face of the opposing sun. How can I not be thankful?
We only met up with one car at all the intersections on Hwy 421 in Wilkes. And I thought in those few minutes that so much was right with the world.
We had a Christmas station playing and one Santa song after another came on. To which Madalynn said, "People think that's what Christmas is about." I, for once, didn't have anything to add or take away. My seven year old gets it, all on her own now. How can I not be thankful?
We crept in. And so as not to wake anyone, she went for a bath as I went for a shower. By the time I got out, several of the kids were up with Memaw and Pop. Sometime in their little visitations to me as I was getting ready, I was told that we were eating by 11 am so Miranda could go on to work at the Christmas tree farm, the same one she helped Michael prune this summer.
As I moved from room to room, Pop asked me just how it is that I know DJ. Then, Mike looked at me and asked plainly, "Why don't you go get him?" Gladly! How can I not be thankful?
When I got back with him, all the food was ready. It was not planned so, but I did not lift one finger to prepare it. Our daughters had listed, shopped for, cooked, and presented a homemade feast on the table that Mike built and with the chairs that we all refinished. (You know, those chairs from Long John Silver's.) We were to eat together at it for the first time. BUT Michael had not come back from his hunting trip way up a logging road in the middle of a thousand acres. He was without a phone and there was some discrepancy as to whether his Daddy said for him to BE home or to LEAVE for home at 11 am. A mother gets a little wound up even though she knows her son has been out hunting alone since he was old enough to pull back a sufficient compound bow. He arrived just as I was taking DJ back. How can I not be thankful?
Somewhere in the mix, two of the girls decided to go with Miranda. Mike had in mind that we would all go to visit Aunt Cindy and Memaw's other sister and brother from Georgia. It was about enough to send him over the edge. Afterall, in the morning, I had told him to turn down the Christmas music so he wouldn't wake Macklynn ...even though Macklynn didn't really seem to mind.
Then, after one of the kids told, in FRONT of DJ, on the other for saying they were staying in their room because DJ was eating with us; Mike made mention that he didn't like the seating. I was afraid that it would once more hurt DJ's feelings, so I made clear that I would take the odd chair.
Oh, and as we made our way to Aunt Cindy's six or seven miles away in nothing less that four cars, I got bent out of shape that we had confused Michael on how to go and that Mike's racing another direction to beat him must have something to do with the greater issues of life.
No, my ways are not Mike's ways. But why must I digress so? Yes, these are simple and almost innocent gestures compared to the ones of our yesteryears. But, why must I get that two cents in? Is not the Lord my defense? Do I still not believe?
This I do know, that my belief is unquestionably being tested. And as I pondered it once again the other night, I suddenly realized that each and every family member is too being profoundly haunted once more by their own personalized demons from the past: instability, sickness, despair, idolatry, addiction, weepiness, aloneness, covetousness, and self involvement.
I think this time though, God is expecting new outcomes, because He has shown Himself to be faithful. Now, it is our turn to do the same. He finds us worthy to do so and has much work for us to get on with. Charles Stanley tells me so on my rides to and fro Virgie's. The book of Deuteronomy professes it so when I sit and study it at Virgie's table early every morning. And Chip Ingram convinces me so while I exercise in my room after I get home. How can I not be thankful?
So ...we didn't get our family Christmas picture made today, even though we were all dressed matchy, matchy. There are just some days that are better off not documented in pictures.
We didn't get our tree up either. But Megan and Miranda did respond to a call for a woods fire near the Parkway. For all I know, they're still there. Just the way they were the other night, along with McKala, digging a tractor trailer driver out from under the load of bread crumbs he was delivering when he lost his brakes and had to take the runaway ramp. How can I not be thankful?
Madalynn and I are back at Virgie's. We followed that brilliant moon almost the whole way and could hear the coyotes howling when we opened the doors. We sleep in some pretty interesting arrangements, but we are warm and we are together and we are safe, as is everyone else back home. Yes, home, we've been there 3 months already and it feels like home now. How can I not be thankful?
