Tip of My Iceberg

There’s a reason Christmas comes only once a year.

Yes, it’s all about the birth of Jesus. It’s a celebration of hope promised, joy anticipated.

But aside from that, as a child, can you imagine being that surprised and awed over and over again? Day after day? It would be exhausting. (Crabbiness and whining would surely come in there somewhere. Too much of a good thing always brings those delightful responses.)

I’ve been experiencing that much awe and wonder. (Hopefully without the crabby, whiney attitude.) The metamorphosis of my home has been nothing short of phenomenal. Something like the hundred year floods–the big ones come so infrequently as to be labeled by centuries. At one point, I’d thought it might take a century to fix up our home. But my sweet husband made it possible. In much less time than one hundred years.

With a lot of help from our friends.

This was truly the deal changer. When this much work is done on a home, many things need to be moved, stored, temporarily displaced. The challenge is to put it back. Not all things need to go back, but enough things do to make the home habitable. The task seemed insurmountable.

Until our friends came.

Not only did they make the load lighter, they made it fun. The laughter and the kidding. People pitching in where they could. Willing to do what they could.

My husband had gone IKEA crazy. Several pieces of our furniture broke (intentionally) when removed from their abode. We needed bookshelves, a desk. Things that IKEA insists must be put together from pieces stored in boxes.

We had an IKEA construction crew who weren’t intimidated by instructions with no words. They were an excellent crew.

I guess I’m always a little surprised when people want to help me. Want to enter into the goofiness that can be my life.

It’s what I know I’ve always wanted. To be known by others. To belong. And these people blessed me with caring about what we needed in the middle of the chaos of our home.

And they entered in.

What a surprise.

Jesus knew this was what we needed. We’ve been created for relationship. To be part of something bigger than ourselves. Because we are loved. By Him. And we need to love.

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command.”   John 15:12-14

Jesus loves us unselfishly, unconditionally. It’s how we’re to love others. Not because we get something from them. Or feel good about ourselves because of their attention. Loving them because they’re worth loving.

Our home is looking stellar, thanks to the love of our friends. Kindness shown in action. Sacrificial. Unselfish.

Surprise.