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Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. (Matthew 6:34 The Message)

 

 

Have you ever locked your keys in your car? Have you ever walked a long distance to give someone a gift? Has your gift ever brought tears to the recipient? All these things happened yesterday.

We were celebrating family Christmas early with my mom, my sister and her four kids. We planned an English dinner with Cottage Pie (like Shepherd’s Pie except with ground beef instead of lamb), roast turkey (with duck seasonings, we wanted to try roasted duck, but had the turkey, so we used what we had), roasted carrots and parsnips, brussel sprouts with brown butter and dark chocolate cherry Bread Pudding. The menu was set and presents were under the tree. Gillian took the kids to church, I ran a last minute errand and my mom was off on a mysterious errand.

We each left the house in the morning and planned to reunite around lunch time. When I returned to my house, I checked my cell phone which had been silenced. Mom had called. So I called her back to let her know I was running late, but was on my way. She answered sounding a bit frazzled. 

“Is everything okay?” I asked.

“I locked my keys in the car. And I had to walk home in the cold and you didn’t answer your phone…and now I can’t find my extra set of keys.” 

“Oh no! I’ll be right over!” I gathered the rest of my stuff, sent up a “Help us find the keys” prayer and headed over to Mom’s. She was still looking for the keys. The kids and Gillian were getting lunch ready. I asked all the dumb questions like “Did you look here?” or “Did you look there?” and “Do you want to eat and call the locksmith later?” 

“No! I have something in the car that I need for today.” So I called the locksmith, while she and the others kept searching for the key.

The locksmith was going to call us and meet us at the car. Mom decided to look in her purse one more time. She said, “I think I left it in a pocket.” Moments later, she shouted out, “Here they are! I had them with me the entire time!” Peter led us in the “Hallelujah Chorus” and I cancelled the locksmith. I took mom to her car, still wondering what the mystery item was in the car. I knew she had been at Home Depot getting my husband a gift card. Little did I know she had a surprise for me.

The last several years my mom gifts me with a fresh floral arrangement for the holiday table. I wasn’t really expecting one this year, since we weren’t hosting any of the Christmas festivities. Once we got back to the house, in she walks (this time from the car to the kitchen, rather than 5 miles in the cold, uphill with no hat or scarf) with the most beautiful Christmas Lilies. 

I crumbled into tears. Easter wafted into the room. Resurrection and Birth commingled, as I recalled afresh the sacrifice and forgiveness of our pure Savior, who meets us in the strangest ways. I had been holding in a lot of resentment that this Advent{ure} hadn’t been as magical or peaceful as past Advent seasons. I was angry that God wasn’t showing up in the usual ways. Foolish and petulant, yes. Understandable, maybe. Beyond God’s grace, no, never. 

So, my mom locked her keys in her car, walked a long way to give her gift and brought the forgiveness of Christ to me in a fresh, beautiful way. Thanks, Mom! And thanks be to God, who never leaves nor forgets us. And always knows what we need to celebrate His birth! (And death and resurrection and the hope of His return).

The lilies say to me: “Jesus really is Coming Again!” 

And now to reveal the winner of my little book, Defining Moments: Overflowing with Living Words….Lisa from Lisa notes…(contact me at kelrohlf@souldare.com, so I can mail you your book!) Congratulations! And Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas! Kel