Today we had Christmas with Bill's folks and his sister and her husband. The kids gave a very nice program--reading the Bible and playing piano, ukulele, and singing. We always have a very special time there. Bill's mom gave us a new needlepoint stocking with golden instruments and piano keys all over it. I can't imagine the hours she spent creating it. Thank you, Mom K. It is priceless.
Yesterday we Christmased here at home with my mom. Santa didn't bring a bunny and he didn't bring an ipad--but he did go a little overboard. He brought Mary a gymnastics mat and little practice beam and he brought the family a new 88 key digital piano. It was the same type of keyboard I saw out in Colorado at the Colorado Suzuki Institute. I have always wanted an electric keyboard for our family for the basement, computer music and for gigs. It is a good thing Santa brought it since I would never have spent the money. It was almost exactly the same amount of money I made out in Colorado last summer which of course was income I wasn't expecting and had I bought it there the money would have gone to a very valid musical instrument charity, but thank goodness Santa took care of it for me.
The kids love the keyboard. Highlights of the day included the Star Spangled Banner Jimmy Hendricks style with electric guitar patch, Fur Elise with the accordion sound and Musette in D on bagpipes. Mary played Arietta on pan flute. . . The keyboard will make it's way to the basement where it can serve as the soundtrack to life in playmobil town. I hope that eventually Calvin will be able to do his sight reading and and pop and jazz stuff down there, since he can't play the real piano much after school during my teaching hours. Of course our regular practice will always be on the acoustic piano, but those great sounds on the keyboard spark a lot of creativity as well.
All this and I still ask myself constantly, do we do too much at Christmas? Is it right to feel so overwhelmed? The gifts? The food? The decorations. Is this what it is all about? My friend Michele loaned me the book Unplugging the Christmas Machine. In my joyful Christmas haste I obviously misplaced it. . .
I love a big Christmas. I love the traditions and presents and food. Then, I feel guilty about not keeping Jesus the complete center of Christmas. Then again, I don't think Christmas is supposed to be about guilt either. . .
Stuck.
What if it was all just okay? Okay to overindulge our kids a little with presents. Okay to reflect on Christmases past. Okay to get a little overwhelmed in the act of being generous with family and friends. Okay to bake more cookies than we can eat. Okay to use incandescent Christmas lights. All for the sake of a little baby. A little baby who as Pastor Kris reminded us--loves us so deeply that He came to us as the Word made flesh. God loves us. It's just okay. It is more than okay--it is the best reason I can imagine to go completely overboard.
God loves me even when I overdo Christmas. Even when I turn two pages at once on the 11:00 p.m. choir anthem and finally realize the choir is not singing the same music as I am playing and fake my way back to them. He loves me when things go perfectly and when they are a mess. When I love Christmas, when I am tired of Christmas. He just loves me.
That is what Christmas is about. Love. God's love. Our love for each other. Love.
Merry Christmas.
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