Monday, December 15, 2008

On the fifth day of Christmas

On the fifth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Five sparkling Ipods
Four kissing frogs
Three chocolate bars
Two sparkling gems
And a flamingo in a tutu

Okay, I am the most technically challenged person on this blog site. I can't ever remember my past words and I usually misplace my blog notes. I'm scatterbrained--it's true. But the funny thing is that when it comes to writing, I can stay focused on the story for days on end and forget everything else around me. So which day of Christmas do I get? I-pods. Fear the little things. Don't have one. Don't know how to use one or download one but if I had five---well now that's different. I'd want them to be in different colors--like five different presents underneath the tree. I'd want them to be hot pink and bright purple and lime green and pearl white and shining red, and all with lots of bling on them. I love presents, I'm a girly-girl, and I love my bling.

But that's what Christmas is all about, right? Presents and shining bows and bright lights and songs running through our heads? Christmas is the advent season. And it is a true adventure--the anticipation of celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ always makes me stop and pause for just a few minutes, usually on Christmas Eve, with that song "Do you see what I see?" traveling through my mind the old-fashioned way. I hum it as I look out at the stars. I love Christmas music so I guess I really should ask Santa for an I-pod. But knowing me, I'd trip over the little cord and break a leg just trying to get the thing connected to my ear. The other night, our neighbor who is in middle school came over to ask for our help with a science project. She wanted my husband and me to listen to music for thirty minutes. She took our blood pressure before we listened and then after, to see if the annoying music she'd picked raised our blood pressure. I thought this would be fun and ... I'd actually get to sit still for thirty minutes. The only trouble I had was with the little ear things. I couldn't get them to stay in because I am not I-pod smart. She had to show me how to make them hang off my earlobe. Now if that had been a set of pearls--- Anyway, I have high blood pressure and take medication for it but when the songs finished my pressure had gone down. And these were not my usual choice in music, trust me.

That little lesson can be applied to the holidays. We rush and run around and search for all those shining baubles and perfect gifts and really, the real treasure is being able to just sit still long enough to feel the presence of peace and to know that the Lord is watching over us. It's hard to just "be still and know that He is God" but we really should do that.

I remember one Christmas years ago when I had to have a minor surgery done to make sure all my female parts were working correctly. I was put to sleep but when I woke up, I felt ill because of the medicine. My husband came to pick me up from the day surgery and since it was close to Christmas and I guess because he was a bit worried about me, he'd bought me a gift. It was an Aaron Neville Christmas CD. Now I'm a Louisiana girl and I love Aaron Neville. My husband loaded me into the Yukon and presented me with this sweet gift. The first song I heard was "Please Come Home for Christmas." I remember tears streaming down my face and a bit of nausea searing my stomach, but I will always remember that sweet gift.

This is the gift the Lord gives us--a gift of thoughtfulness and love, an unexpected gift that we didn't even ask for. It's ours for the taking. And maybe we do need a little speaker in our ears to hear of this precious gift. Do you see what I see? I hope so. Do you hear what I hear? I'm thinking you do. Take the time to listen, just listen, to the quiet amongst this busy season.
And if Santa brings you an I-pod, please post here on how the things really work. I'd love to know. Merry Christmas and I hope you always hear a song of joy each time you wish upon a star.

11 comments:

  1. Oh 5 ipods would be cool but forget pink go for blue!!! I have an mp3 player which doesn't hold photos etc but does play music and I have it loaded with christmas music. and Christian songs the rest of the year.
    I can believe music would soothe you if you relaxed. and the earplugs can be interesting sounds like you had ones like on an airplane. Ok i was off to bed an hour ago to read. hope yu all have a great day. I dont think i will get an ipod but I did get a mobile phone or Cell phone its my first and Im still trying to work it out. I dont use it much but its good for emergencies.

    ReplyDelete
  2. LOL, Oh, how I loved your post. I'm still trying to feel techno savvy. I mean, I'm a pioneer! I was into video games in the beginning (I played PONG). I was on the Internet when it was young (Think AOL 2.0). I am so woefully behind. We own a PlayStation2. Don't play. As for an IPOD. Nope. Oh, and am I the only one who misses the original VCRs? The ones you actually could record with. Once they added more gadgets, I stopped trying.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm right up there with you about iPods and other such devices. I have a cell phone but I don't leave it on. I have it for emergencies only and I don't even know how to text.

    Margaret

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm with you Lenora!
    Merry Christmas :D

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh, Margaret -- You are just at my level! I got a cell phone, like you, for emergencies and tell my friends it's of no use to call me on it because it's never on. I keep thinking I need to get more techno savvy and do try to take one techno step a year (the problem is that at that pace I only fall further behind)!

    ReplyDelete
  6. When I saw 5 sparkling Ipods, I was actually hoping YOU would tell ME how they work! I understand the idea of different colors too unless you bring one at a time out, when the other quits (do they ever quit?), and can always claim at a glance that was yours. What's this with hanging off the earlobe? I need a demonstration in person, didn't get it between the lines. :)
    I love the advise you gave, "Take the time to listen, just listen, to the quiet amongst this busy season." That is where I'm going so I can reflect on Him because, as you so perfectly said, "the real treasure is being able to just sit still long enough to feel the presence of peace and to know that the Lord is watching over us."
    Thanks.
    Pam Williams
    cepjwms at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  7. Lenora,
    You are as usual a "stitch."
    Don't really know what that means either!
    But I am also Ipod-less. I feel good that I learned how to listen to messages on my cell phone!
    And of course, keeping Christ in Christmas is the challenge.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Loved your post, Lenora!! So cute.

    I don't have an iPod either. But my son is wanting to buy himself a new iPod Touch, so I'm thinking I'll beg for the old one. :) (Clever of me to wait so long to get one, isn't it??)

    LOL
    Missy

    ReplyDelete
  9. LOL on the tutu..I'd look pathetic in one for sure.

    LOL.
    Cheryl

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thanks everyone. I'm so glad I'm not the only one who is clueless about I-pods. The little speaker things have to actually hang off your earlobes but I have big ears, so maybe that's why they kept slipping out of my lobes. I much prefer diamonds hanging there anyway. It's so cold here today. I'm drinking hot chocolate. And don't get me started on cell phones. I can't see the numbers and I've only texted one time. That was so traumatic I never did it again! I'm not a big cell phone chatter but all my friends are and they tease me about never using mine. It's for emergencies and for SHOE CLEARANCE SALE alerts!!!!

    Lenora ;) Off to a Church Christmas party.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Wonderful post, Lenora. I can hear your voice. :) I don't have an iPod either. . . in fact, every time I download pics from my camera-- or is that upload?--I feel challenged. I love fooling around with the computer though. The other day I actually did a slide-show. ha! If they'd had all these gadgets when I was much, much, much younger... I wouldn't be trying to write. I'd be a techie person. :)

    ReplyDelete

Popular Posts

Write for Love Inspired Romance?

Write for Love Inspired Romance?
If you do and would like to join this blog, please contact either Margaret Daley or Pamela Tracy

Total Pageviews

Blog Archive