Surprised By Joy

When our glittering, 10-foot Christmas tree crashed to the floor late one night, I hardly knew what to do first. Should I grab a towel for our now sodden carpet? Pick up the shattered ornaments before a sliver punctured someone's foot? Or grab the vacuum cleaner and get busy on the 14,000 Frasier fir needles now flung across our living room?

Delegator extraordinaire, I ordered my daughter to grab towels and our son to get the vacuum cleaner. I gingerly lifted shards of silver and blue glass out of the carpet. My husband took on the Herculean effort of raising our hefty, frazzled tree.

When the mess was finally lifted up, sopped up, picked up, and vacuumed up, I stared at the array of ornaments scattered across our sofa and felt my shoulders droop. Each one needed to be hung on our half-empty Christmas tree. Again. Exhausted from a hectic weekend, I groaned.

That's when our 14 year old daughter clapped her hands and jumped up and down. "We get to decorate our Christmas tree again!"

Her beaming face challenged my scrooge-like heart.

What if the circumstances we're currently facing are really opportunities to find joy in an unlikely place?

What if, instead of expecting everything to be perfect, we looked for the remarkable in life's imperfections?

And what if, instead of waiting for joy to find us, we set out on a journey to seek it?

I think that's what Christmas is all about. It's a journey whose destination is the One through whom all joy ultimately flows.

Over two thousand years ago, wise men and kings traveled to find the Source of joy, disguised as an infant. Flies buzzed and fresh piles of manure steamed in the frigid night air. But when earthly kings knelt in the mud and straw, they received remarkable joy in the most unlikely place.

And when I knelt on damp carpet to re-decorate our Christmas tree last night, so did I.

The Benefits of Dashing To and Fro

I can zip my pants. This may not sound like earth-shattering news. But given the number of Christmas goodies I’ve already consumed this season, I assure you it's no small feat.

In fact, this may even qualify as a Christmas miracle, since all my spare time has been sucked into the Holiday Vortex, along with my usual daily two-mile walks. I lamented my lack of exercise until it dawned on me: Wait one cotton-pickin’ minute! I am busy! And busy burns calories!

So, in the spirit of holiday giving, I joyfully offer my contribution to society at large: The Holiday Equivalents Chart. By my calculations, and according to this Official Chart, I can enjoy the many flavors of Christmas without loosening my belt even a tiny bit. And so, my friends, can you.

The Official Holiday Calorie Equivalents Chart

• Lugging holiday boxes from basement/attic/garage = 3 Powdered Pecan Balls

• Screaming from creepy crawlies in box = 2 Frosted Sugar Cookies

• Beating creepy crawlies w/ broom & cleaning up the mess = 1 Peppermint Brownie
• Driving to 3 Christmas tree lots in search of perfect tree = 1 Mug of Hot Cocoa
• Untangling aggravating Christmas lights = Cheeseball and ¼ box of Triscuits
• Tossing tangled Christmas lights and driving to store for new lights = 1 Candy Cane

• Taking out a 2nd mortgage to pay for Christmas tree =3 Pieces of Fudge
• Keeping up with the laundry in the midst of it all = Chips & Dip on a festive tray
• Toting child(ren) hither and yon to choir practice and holiday parties = 4 Mini pigs-in-a-blanket
• Constructing and decorating Gingerbread house = 25 Red & Green Peanut M&M's
• Chasing wayward cat away from partially eaten Gingerbread house = 2 Homemade Chocolate-Almond Biscotti
• Attending 142 (or 9) Christmas play rehearsals = 9 Peanut Butter Kisses
• Brainstorming stocking stuffers for entire family = 3 Gingersnaps
• Composing witty yet meaningful Christmas letter = 2 Rum Balls
• Posing for annual holiday picture without blood or tears = 3 Christmas Oreos
• Shopping, shopping, shopping = 1 ½ cups Home made Chex Mix
• Waiting in line without Losing It = Handful of Spiced Pecans
• Baking umpteen thousand Christmas cookies = 4 Snickerdoodles
• Ranting at teen son (and friends) for snarfing most of cookies = 1 Piece Pumpkin Pie
• Wrapping Christmas presents until back spasms =1 Dinner Out OR ELSE

This concludes the annual milking of the system. With cookies, of course.