What Silent Night?

Full disclosure: I have done this to myself.
I had hopes for heavenly peace; instead I have a dining room table of unfinished Christmas cards, pageants, recitals, parties, (nearly) a dog adoption, a dozen Christmas gifts to be wrapped, a Pintrest-inspired project I’ve been working on since July, an Advent calendar stuck on December 9, and the major stresser of all that keeps me awake at night: teacher gifts.
You’d think, since I was once a teacher, the last one would be easy. Years of loving the kids’ gifts of boxed chocolate and homemade ornaments would make me some kind of teacher-gift-buying expert. Oh, friend, you would be wrong. I always miss the mark on teacher gifts. The year my kids made homemade cards with Starbucks gift cards tucked inside is the year every other mom in the class showed up with Burberry scarves wrapped inside mink jackets. My kids’ homemade cards look like some kind of Laura Ingalls project.
The year I grabbed some expensive candles from Nordstrom Rack was the year every other mom baked cookies and lovingly placed them in a tin her child had decorated. The teacher oohed and aahhed over every homemade manger scene, and we looked like the materialistic family who loved vanilla-scented candles more than the true meaning of Christmas.
So, moms, can we get a consensus? Are we going for glitzy or homespun this year? No rush on letting me know since I haven’t started shopping for the teachers’ gifts yet!
All this to say that the travel (I know. Enough about the travel! You went on a trip, Tina, now, drop it!), the holiday performances, and the Advent-ing have left me frazzled. So frazzled that last week when our church caroled at a local nursing home, I found myself envious of the old and feeble patients who were tucked into their beds with an evening of dozing on the agenda.
BUT this post was not supposed to be about how frazzled I am. I mean, clearly it WAS about that, but it wasn’t my intent. My intent was to tell you about a surprising little bright spot in our day last night. Tae Kwon Do belt testing!
For the past four months, Sam and his BFF, Sam, have been attending biweekly Tae Kwon Do lessons. My dear friend, Michelle, is actually a saint and takes the rambunctious boys to their Tuesday practice. I should probably buy Michelle a Burberry scarf and fur jacket AND some cookies this Christmas for the blessing she is to our family. M takes Sam on Saturday, meaning I spend very little time at TKD.
Last night was belt-testing, meaning the boys would test to see if they could move up to the next belt. Because life had been so busy, I had no idea if Sam, in fact, did know whatever skills they were testing him to know. So, I rushed from ballet to the TKD studio, got Elisabeth out of her leotard, Sam into his TKD gear, and collapsed on a chair next to the rest of our family.
Guess what? Sam knew the moves. He rocked the moves.
Who knew? While I was rushing around putting the weight of the world (AND THE TEACHER GIFTS) on my shoulders, Sam was learning how to yell and punch and (believe it or not) sit still!
The belt testing was fun to watch.
And it was also a nice reminder from God. Whether I’m watching and worrying or not, God is still in control.
That reminder inspired me to read this verse…
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah. Psalm 46:1-3,7
God is my stronghold. Whether I run around like a lunatic obsessing about teacher gifts or quietly sit at home, He will still rule our lives.
Selah.
(And, where are we at on those teacher gifts?)