The Sacrifice Jar

My husband and I decided many Christmases ago to simplify Christmas for each other and exchange only stockings.  Once the kids are in bed on Christmas Eve, with the house quiet and the Christmas tree lit, we sit together on the couch and like two excited kids, we empty the contents of our stockings and Oooo and Ahhh over each little gift.  It's a sweet, peaceful time, stripped from the typical, dreaded anxieties of gifts not being the right size, fit, shape or color.  As I pull each gift from the dark, depths of my red, velvet, Gingerbread Boy stocking, my heart warms at his choices for me that he proudly points out "spoke" to him.   It's my husbands loving reminder to me every Christmas Eve that not only does he love me.....but he knows me.  Through the years, however, my stocking stuffings have gotten more than my little sock can hold so like the popular Christmas song, "The 12 Days of Christmas", my own true love started the tradition of surprising me with my overflowing goodies every day for about a week before Christmas Eve.  I look forward to him emerging from our bedroom with his hands behind his back and the mischievous half smile on his face.  I've gotten beyond picking a hand and started my own tradition reaching around him feeling, poking and squishing, trying to guess my newest surprise before its brought out in front of me revealed.  My favorite surprise this year so far?  A new coffee mug!



I love my week long surprises, so for Jesus' Birthday this year I thought I'd share my Christmas Stocking experience with Him and make His birthday last longer than just one day.  So, my quest for "Gifts for Jesus" began a few short weeks ago.  I shopped and stockpiled a few presents, wrapped them, and waited with excited anticipation until I could give them to Him one by one!  I could barely contain my excitement as He opened His first gift.  With eyes wide, I clasped my hands in delight!  I knew He was going to just love it!  As the wrapping paper came off, terror gripped my chest.  That's not what I wrapped!  "Oh, Jesus!  I'm so sorry!  That's not what I meant to give you.....it looks awful!!!"  Embarrassed, I quickly presented Him with His gift meant for day two.  "Here, try this one, Lord.  It's much better, I promise."  He untied the red, satin ribbon, and began peeling away at the festive wrap, when again, I saw glimpses of another gift that was definitely NOT what I had wrapped.  "Master!  Forgive me!  These aren't the gifts I picked out for you!" Gift after gift, it was the same.  I was mortified!  Each gift when I wrapped them looked perfect, until He opened them and in His light they looked filthy, warn and broken.

I looked closely at Him.  What had I done wrong?  Why were my gifts turning out to be dismal failures and what possibly could I give Him that that wouldn't look hideous illuminated in His beautiful light?  I looked down at His hands, lovingly caressing my disastrous attempts at gifts for the King of Kings.  A lump formed in my throat and my eyes filled with tears when I noticed what I had been missing; the holes in His hands and feet; the scars of my Saviours sacrifice for me.  My heart dropped realizing each gift I gave to my Jesus, came with little to no sacrifice on my part.  A smile to a stranger, a kind word, a gentle touch......all beautiful gestures, and I could tell He liked them.....but it wasn't what He really wanted from me this Christmas.  My eyes turned to my closet and in my heart, I KNEW what He wanted.  Like a spoiled child, I inwardly stomped in defiance..."But I can't give that, I want it, too! My heart grew heavy as I felt His loving, brown eyes on me.  I couldn't take my eyes off His hands; my heart felt pierced at the visual reminder of the valuable, priceless gift He gave me.  My Master left His kingdom in heaven.... for me; He traded his kingly throne for a stable and an animals manger.... for me; He was beaten and bruised and hung to die on the cross....for me. He adopted me as His own and vowed to take care of me every moment of every day since I became His.  Not once has He broken that promise.  It was decided.  I opened the closet and reached in.............

I held the jar that had been meant for another purpose than what I had stolen it for.    I felt guilty as I turned the cold, glass in my hands.  The "Sacrifice Jar " was meant to sit on the kitchen counter as a living lesson for our family on the joys of sacrifice and to paint a visual picture for the kids of Jesus' sacrifice for us.  Each family member would sacrificially give to the jar for a family or person in need we felt the Lord wanted us to help.  We had just filled a need and it sat empty, taking up space on my counter...that is.... until I found another need for it; storage for the money I earned selling my first story.  I didn't make a lot....but enough to get the juices flowing and dreams airborne.  I planned on getting something big and exciting....kind of like a trophy...that I could look on with pride that I had earned with my writing.  Mourning the loss of my dream, I felt a warm hand on my shoulder.  My Father held me close as He whispered softly, "We did write a good story together, didn't we?"  I turned to see His shining face and beautiful, wide smile.  Together.  It was never my story, my money, my jar.  It was His all along.  Given to me..........to give back to Him.  The jars original purpose to teach my children the valuable lesson of the joy in sacrifical giving........fulfilled its mission as my own heart swelled as I presented my Saviour and King..... His gift.

Last night, as the kitchen filled with the aroma of freshly brewed, Biggby hazelnut coffee, I hugged my favorite, new mug.  My husband gave me a weird look.......with a satisfied smile knowing he had chosen correctly.  Who knew empty mugs....and jars.....held so much joy?

Happy Birthday, Jesus!! 

Gifts Of Spring

I love the sound of our vacuum!  Not so much really when I'm pushing it, but the loud rumble seems to take on a happy melody when it's being pushed by someone else!  The low roar of our vacuum is a happy announcement to me lines are going back in my carpet and the dirt and dusties are going bye-bye!  Ahhhh, the sound of clean! The whirl of the vacuum isn't the only pleasing sound providing music for my tidy hungry ears. The squeakity-squeak of paper towel against our windows and the swish of the broom on our kitchen floor blends in perfect harmony adding to the joyous song! The symphony of spring cleaning in December my orchestra of kids play is beautiful to this conductors ears!

There is a purpose, really, to this Mom's need for clean in December.  Three years ago, I wanted to find a way for the kids to be able to give to one another and experience the joys that come with gift giving.  I didn't want to just hand them a wad of cash and let them loose in the store.  A)  Money doesn't flow that freely around here and B) gifts that come easily without some sort of sacrifice seem to kind of fall flat.  Mom and Dad have to earn money for the gifts under the tree, so the lesson of work and sacrifice is an important one to teach.  Spring cleaning was the perfect teaching tool......teaching the kids the valuable lesson that work and giving go hand in hand.  These cleaning jobs enabled them to not only earn gifts for each other but they double as gifts for Mom and Dad!  The gift of a sparkling, organized, spring-cleaned home done with excitement and zealous glee!

In 2008, "Christmas Chore Coupons" or "Christmas Cash" (from year to year the name seems to slightly morph!) was born.  Each year, Kris and I brainstorm a master list of "extra mile" chores (chores different from daily chores) ranging from organizing bedrooms, window washing, vacuuming out the van and even playing with the guinea pigs.  The difficulty of the task would determine how many punches the job was worth.   Each child receives their own coupon with areas for punches; 10 punches earned a gift and a unique shopping experience with Mom at "The Lash Country Store."



When they are ready to "cash in" their 10 punches, they let me know which person they want to shop for and I get the store ready, complete with gifts, wrapping paper and cards.  It's fun waiting at our bedroom door like a gate-keeper as I examine the coupon for the proper amount of punches for entry (like I didn't know already.....I am the master of the hole punch! :D)  It warms my heart watching  each child search for the perfect gift for their brother or sister that they worked so hard to earn.  Together we wrap the gift with the paper designated for that person and with excited chatter we wonder whether or not their brother or sister will be able to guess what surprise lie hidden inside!  Its neat to think that each gift snugly tucked in Tinkerbell, Cars or Toy Story wrapping paper, is nestled in so much more.  Each gift is wrapped and taped in the sacrifice of time, energy, effort and beautifully, topped off with a big, bow of love.  The shopping trip with Mom at the "Lash Country Store" comes to an end with my favorite moment, the signing of the card.  The heartfelt, written words of love and friendship expressed by each outshines my sparkling windows and floors and leaves a lump in my throat and my eyes misty!

It's my hearts desire that "Christmas Coupons" spotlight the type of giving our Lord and Savior loving gave us that blessed Christmas morning! He gave the beautiful gift of Spring, giving us shiny new hearts through the sacrifice of His birth and death for each of us...if we accept it.  Though December generally brings snow and cold; blossoms of spring appear in my freshly, scrubbed home........love renewed through gifts of Spring!

Itchy Nose Syndrome!

Snuggled on the couch underneath my favorite, t.v viewing blanket, I let out a contented sigh.  We survived another year decking the halls for Christmas and shockingly, it went smooth!  No catastrophes, no blow-ups....no tears!!  The glow from the t.v and our newly, decorated Christmas tree filled the living room as the we huddled together on the couch; comfy, cozy and content, basking in the joy of surviving another year.  I smugly thought back to all the clearly marked storage tubs and the ingenious diagrams and detailed lists that I left tucked in with the decorations easily showing where everything was to go.  That had to have been the key!  Feeling proud of my OCD and exceptional organizational skills, my head swelled a bit larger at the thought of the Christmas Decorating Contract I drew up a few years back that we all re-read together that morning to keep the "grouchies" away.  Traditionally, it is NOT a Norman Rockwell Christmas scene over here on decorating day, the day after Thanksgiving!  Grumbles and mumbles from good ol' Mom and Dad replace the smiling, cheerful ones that can be seen in one of Mr. Rockwell's paintings....and the kids?  In our family portrait....children are no where to be seen, they scatter keeping as far away from the "grouchies" as possible. 

                                                                                                                     

                                                                                                                                     


My hopeful thinking that I found the key to our new found decorating bliss was interrupted by a horrific sound that I was no stranger to at this time of year.  NO.......WAY!!   Oh please, not again! The unmistakable sound of clinking glass and bulbs and the rustling of pine needles and ribbon was as loud as a lumberjacks "TIMBER!!!", jostling me back to reality from my self-absorbed day dream of Christmas perfection.  My ninja-quick reflexes kicked in and this pink, robed Bruce Lee burst out of her blanket cocoon and was up like a shot to examine the damage.  Standing above my tree that lay in a heap on the floor that I had spent so much time on, placing each bulb, ribbon and bow in just the right spot in artistic, perfect precision, was when I felt the first little twinge.  My hand went straight up to my nose.  With my family gathered around, I could feel a unified, silent gasp..........."Oh oh....."

In a police line up, its not hard to picture Oscar the Grouch, green, wild-haired and dirty, leaning out his dented trash can alongside Grumpy Dwarf with his long face, crossed arms and sour attitude. Next in line, standing shoulder to shoulder alongside Grumpy, another guilty grumbler stands; the axe swinging, little rumbler, Grimli, from "Lord of the Rings".  All three are guilty as charged with the "grouchies" and if you were to look a little closer, you'd see a fourth in this rowdy band of brothers. Yep, that'd be me....maybe towering just a tad taller.......but just as guilty and armed with the same prickly attitude.

                    Guilty of the Grouchies!


                                                                                     
Growing up, I remember talking to the Lord about my battle with the "grouchies" and telling Him how hard it was to control my short, hot temper.  I prayed, "Lord, if ya just gimme a warning the "grouchies" are coming...... you and me.....we can stop it before it gets nasty."  I was really little, but I was convicted in a big way!  It wasn't long until one of my brothers did something that really got my juices flowing and I got an answer to my prayer.  I felt a little feather tickle in my nose.  Weird.  I tried the Sabrina "Bewitched" nose twitch to stop it.  I'd sniff and rub and rub and sniff but it just got stronger and stronger until.................KACHOOO!!  Thinking something just crawled up my nose and died, I shook it off.  Until the next time my temper flared....and it happened again!  This continued on a few times until I finally got it, this could be my sign I prayed for.  I learned a lesson that day.  A) Be careful what you pray for!  and B) The Lord really does hear and answer our prayers!!

That was YEARS ago, and at 42, every time I get annoyed, ticked or miffed, my childhood answered prayer still faithfully kicks in!  It's a instant, visual cue to the ones who know me best the moment my hand shoots up to rub my nose an inward battle is taking place.  With each itch and feathery tickle, I feel the Lord's eyes upon me; watching to see how I handle the approaching "grouchies" with my flashing red warning light He installed in the middle of my face.  With each nose rub, I weigh my two choices.  Go with the moment and let it all fly, or heed the warning and batten down the hatches and lasso my tongue. 

Rubbing my nose and letting out a loud sniff, I look sadly at my beautiful tree.  I had no clue where to start.  Kris bravely made the first move and lifted my mangled tree back to its upright position.  It looked as sad as I felt!  I managed to heed the warning from the insane tickle in my nose and kept my mouth shut....for the most part. I did manage to muster up a few chuckles and even practiced Prov. 15:1 to answer one of my kids questions in a soft, sweet tone.  I was told later it was a little too sweet (over compensation, I think!) when I asked how I did with this years decorating battle with the "grouchies".  Good news, I got a passing grade!  Bad news, I still have work to do!

Thinking back (not only does pride come before the fall!), being organized is great and, yeah, it was a big help, but the smoother decorating year wasn't due to the diagrams, lists or the even the decorating contract.  The perfect Rockwell picture stamped in my head of sugar plums, steaming cups of hot cocoa and merry, carol singing is my expectation every year at decorating time.  No one can live up to my perfect standards, even myself, so I am disappointed every time and left with the "grouchies".  This year, however, my heart was in a different place.  November's 30 Days of Thanks gave my heart and attitude an adjustment and like a visit to the chiropractor, my spotlight on thankfulness popped them back in their proper positions; of praise and worship.  The side effect I witnessed was astounding when I purposely took the time to think and meditate daily on what the Lord has graciously and generously given me! Joy filled my heart when I saw my Master's hands in my everyday!

There is, believe it or not, another side effect to a heart happy, light and filled with joy.  In God's word, we can find that giving praise and thanksgiving to our Lord and King can lead, in most cases, to joyful contagious singing! Isaiah 50:4..."joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody (singing!)"  and Ezra 3:11 ".....and they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord; because He is good, for his mercy endureth forever...." With my own heart happy, light and filled with God's mercy's, it's easier for me to be that playful, lighthearted Mom singing crazy, made-up songs that my kids crack up to and inevitably, one or all start singing along! The "voices of melody" and the word "they" implies multiple people, multiple voices.  Joy...... is extremely contagious!  But, question is, how do we keep a heart happy, light and full of joy?  David writes the prescription in Psalms 100.  A daily dose of this song should keep the joy flowing!

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord all ye lands.
Serve the Lord with gladness: come before His presence with singing.
Know ye that the Lord He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name,
For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.


It's amazing to think this prescription of David's is thousands of years old and this cure for our hearts is still as potent as ever!  Now, I wonder if he's got anything for itchy noses?