iheartblog: Grace for today.

I open the door. the gorgeous guest
from afar sweeps in. in her hands are
her gifts - the gifts of hours and far seeing moments,
the gift of mornings and evenings,
the gift of spring and summer, the gift
of autumn and winter. She must have searched
the heavens for gifts so rare.
-Abbie Graham.

I love what Sarah Ban Breathnach calls December gifts - custom, ceremony, celebration and consecration. They come to us wrapped up, not in tissue and ribbons but in cherished memories. This year has been a tough one for me... emotionally and marriage wise (i will write on that later this month)... and I made a decision that this month, December, is going to be a month of exactly all the c's: custom, ceremony, celebration and consecration.

Custom: those little self invented traditions that sits around your shoulders like a well worn comforter. Little customs in my life: baking cookies as gifts to friends and teachers. Lighting candles at dinner time because in Saskatchewan it's pitch dark but 5pm. Reading: getting lost in a good book is certainly one of the greatest joys in life. Christmas cards: sending a love and a kiss over the seas. Food: cooking together. Preparing food that loves you back.

Ceremony: Getting dressed up for setting up the tree, setting a pretty table for Christmas eve. Praying together and blessing each other with kind words... not in a formal manner, but in an everyday manner. Rom 12:2 Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.

Celebration: Recognizing and celebrating His life in me. to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do... Seeing with new eyes that He is near to you. In your heart, in the words you speak, the thoughts you think. Rejoicing that He is drawing near to you all the time. That small voice in your heart? listen. rejoice. forgive. Where there is Love there is always miracles. Ask. I think the one thing that makes God's heart jump for joy is when we ask.

Consecration: For in asking we declare: we don't know, have the answers, we are on the end of our rope. "We have to accept that we have uncreative moments. The more honestly one can accept that, the quicker these moments will pass. One must have the courage to call a halt, to feel empty and discouraged - E Hillesum" In asking God to help us, give us wisdom, give us an answer, we consecrate ourselves to Him. We declare our dependance upon him.
Matt 11:28 "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."