holiday | Sherry's A Labour of Love

It’s Christmas time and the trees are decorated, the garland is up, the music plays daily and the movie marathon has begun. It’s always such a beautiful time of year and I am so grateful and thankful that we have a home, family around, the weather is mild and the smiles are still on the faces of those dear to us.

This Christmas is going to be slightly different for our family. With change, comes sadness, and with sadness comes concern. Concern over the unknown, concern over more loss of friendships that we’ve held dear, and the acknowledgement that we live in a cruel world.

As I ponder these changes coming toward us at a rapid pace, I continue to focus on the reality that God’s grace is not about prediction, not about having all of the answers nor is it about abundance. God’s grace is about the unconditional love of a shepherd over a flock that doesn’t deserve to have Him. It’s about trusting in the unknown explicitly, knowing only one thing…there is someone who cares enough to make sure to plan out every detail so that we do not have to worry about anything. It’s about trusting in blind faith that carries our burdens for us.

For some, giving up control over the things they truly cannot control is difficult. There is an innate sense of obligation that is understandably part of human nature. How do we overcome disappointment? How do we overcome loss? How do we move beyond and trust in the Lord completely while giving up the human nature side of our inner being? Dear friend, it is not easy. It is not natural and it is not the reality for many. It takes a great deal of prayer to overcome that of which we have within us that is not of a Godly nature. Searching within ourselves, understanding who we are, where we have been and where we are going, actively seeking truth in the gospel to understand ourselves is just part of the process. Sometimes, we do not like who we see, and yet, there is a great deal of growth from being able to admit we are not who we want to be.

In years of past, for me personally, I have seen that there were a great many holidays spent trying to control how everyone saw our home, trying to be inclusive to everyone, trying to make sure that we did the best for everyone else…except for our immediate family. Notice how this sounds. It was all about a visual outward appearance. I thought I was doing what was right in the eyes of everyone else except the one of which we honor during this season. Taking a step back, I reflect on my own insecurities in wanting to be accepted and to be unconditionally loved. I had forgotten the whole point of that precious gift that Christmas represents. I can honestly say that although I still struggle with some of those feelings, I have in the last year especially understood that I am as I was created to be, by the unconditional love of a Father who blessed me with life. No one this earth will ever love me or care for me as much as He who gave life, only to take that life so that others may be cleansed and be given life. It’s not about the outward appearance. It’s about an internal struggle given up to become someone new. Someone who can enjoy loved ones that are held dear and make them a priority while also offering up thanksgiving to a God who has provided so much.

A year ago, I could never have seen what was yet to come. I have learned to love in different ways while slowly learning to give up that which I am unable to control. One of those things is the incredible love for two beautiful fur babies that have become part of our family. Two sweets pups who were rescued from the horrors of shelters, abandonment and loss. In some ways, I can relate to these two, and to love them unconditionally has been a wonderful growing experience for myself and for my family. They have helped me to personally accept the lack of control I have in this life, remember that love comes in different packages and that when we let go of that control that dwells within us, we can learn to embrace the joy of life and the one who blessed us with it. Nothing in life comes easy, and nothing in life should give us such worry that we cannot look beyond to see the blessings we truly have. Life itself is a blessing.

Our two fur babies who have captured our hearts.

Welcomed into the local Humane Animal Welfare Society from a kill shelter in Alabama. He is beautiful both in his appearance and in his personality. He is little lover that cannot get enough and therefore he gives much.

It all started with her capturing our heart from a local shelter where she was brought up from Missouri after her litter mates and she were abandoned by their mother at 2 days old. We fostered her from 6 weeks until her adoption and she has been our sweet loving example of the preciousness of unconditional love.

As we celebrate the season of giving and thanksgiving, it is my prayer that we can all be reminded of the gift that was presented to us many years ago. A gift that would carry the burdens of the flock to an eternal peace. The gift of a savior who came to spare those in despair from lives of uncertainty, separation, and death. Be well sweet ones and embrace that of which has come your way, without worry, and without concern, identifying that which holds you back. Giving thanksgiving to the Lord who has opened your eyes to knowing that He has unconditional love for all who trust in Him with their whole being.

Merry Christmas to you and your families!

I will admit that I have been a cynic. I have for years wished everyone a “Happy Hallmark Valentines Day”. You could say that I just chalked up the day as another way for some to make money and for others to be nice to their loved ones once a year. In my mind, you should be nice to those you love every day of the year, not just one. Well…I admit I was wrong.

I did some checking to see what the history of Valentines Day was and much to my surprise I learned that the day has actually been around since before the 14th Century. Prior to the 14th century it was a day to celebrate the martyrs named Valentine. In 1382 the first recorded writing of Valentines Day being associated with love was Chaucer’s poem written for the first anniversary of King Richard II and Anne of Bohemia’s engagement. There is much controversy as to the exact date that Chaucer was referring to, however, it still remains to be the first recorded writing associating the two.

There you have it, I was wrong. Knowing that Hallmark made it’s debut onto the greeting card scene in 1910, I’d say the celebration of love on February 14 has had it’s mark on history much longer and deserves at least to be recognized as a day of celebration. I apologize to all those who have endured my cynical attitude toward the day in question, I promise to be more “loving” here on out on that “celebrated day of love”.

I know the day held great significance for my parents and they bestowed that upon my brother and I growing up. I mean, it was like Halloween all over again with the candy hearts we woke up to. My children used to get heart pancakes on Valentines Day when they were younger and my husband and I usually have exchanged cards and roses over the years. So when did I become cynical? I guess it happened when I realized that some people only used it as a day to be nice to those they otherwise would not be. I saw the florists rake in the dough on flowers of guilt purchased by husbands who work long hard hours and remember at the last moment that the day is about love. Wrong, yes! Honest, yes! Remorseful, yes! So my friends far and near…

Happy Valentine’s Day!

And in recognition of Chaucer, here is a little piece of history (note that this is only a few lines of the poem that is actually around 700 lines):

The Parliament of Fowls

A garden saw I, full of blossomy boughs
Upon a river, in a green mead,
There as sweetness evermore enough is,
With flowers white, blue, yellow, and red,
And cold well-streams, nothing dead,
That swimming full of small fishes light,
With fins red and scales silver bright.

On every bough the birds heard I sing,
With voice of angels in their harmony;
Some busied themselves birds forth to bring;
The little coneys to here play did hie.
And further all about I could see
The dread filled roe, the buck, the hart and hind,
Squirrels, and beasts small of gentle kind.

Of instruments of strings in accord
Heard I so play a ravishing sweetness,
That God, that maker is of all and lord,
Had heard never better, as I guess.
Therewith a wind, scarcely it might be less,
Made in the leaves green a noise soft
Accordant to the fowls’ song aloft.

Th’air of that place so a-temperate was
That never was grievance of hot nor cold.
There wax also every wholesome spice and grass;
No man may there wax sick nor old;
Yet was there joy more a thousandfold
Than man can tell; never would it be night,
But always clear day to any man’s sight.