Reflect

We're down to the last four Fridays of 2013. Only four more Five Minute Fridays before 2014 is upon us. Today's word is reflect.


I've found myself reflecting quite a bit this week. After an overdue and three-hour long visit with a friend's mom, my heart was troubled as I reflected on what is - trouble and tears and strife and broken relationship - versus what was and what ought to be - love and joy and peacemaking and stability. As I left, I felt overwhelmed by the brokenness that seems to be omnipresent right now.

We have another ongoing situation that has yet to reach any sort of reasonable resolution and weariness abounds. The pain and grief and the need to make hard decisions are exacerbated by the holiday season.

Monday was hard, Tuesday wasn't so great, but somewhere in the midst of all of it, I was struck with the realization that Christmas is about joy and peace and hope, and that is what I am going to choose. I am going to choose joy. I am, I am, I am.

We put up our Christmas tree on Monday night. Most of the ornaments we use on the tree have meaning and significance to us. We have an ornament for each year we've been married and many of those are from destinations we've visited. There is an ornament from my sister-in-law's trip to Italy and one from our daughter's mission trip to Mali. There is the set of 12 bride's ornaments we received our first married Christmas, and we played our annual guessing game of what each ornament represents. One would think after playing for 13 years, we'd have it figured out, but no.

The time we spent decorating the tree was a needed time to reflect and remember amidst the craziness. To remember that we love and are loved and that's what this season truly celebrates.


On a completely different note, I discovered the website http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/ today and laughed until I cried. There is some seriously hilarious reflection going on there as people reflect on awkward family photos.